PETALING JAYA: DAP executive councillors G. Saminathan and Paul Yong should be stripped of their state exco posts on the grounds that they have been charged with serious criminal offences, says a PAS leader.
PAS Syura Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali At-Takiri said Saminathan was charged with supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist organisation, while Yong was charged with raping an Indonesian maid.
"I stand by the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty and that an assemblyman will automatically lose his seat only when they are convicted and fail to obtain a free pardon in accordance with Schedule Eight of the Federal Constitution," he said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 29).
He however added that under the same Schedule, the Sultan or Governor of a state could also strip them of their executive council posts.
"As executive council posts are held at the pleasure of the Sultan or the Governor, I call upon the Perak Sultan and the Melaka Governor to respectively strip Yong and Saminathan of their executive council posts to ensure that the respective state administrations can function effectively," he said.
Mohd Khairuddin noted Gadek assemblyman Saminathan was charged with supporting or seeking support for a terrorist group and was liable to be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty.
"Yong - who is a Perak executive councillor - was charged in August with raping an Indonesian maid on July 7," said the Kuala Nerus MP.
Ten men, two of them DAP state assemblymen, were hauled to Sessions Courts in five states on Tuesday to face charges of alleged links to the LTTE.
Melaka exco member G. Saminathan and Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran led the list of the accused.
They were slapped with various charges at the Ayer Keroh court, including possessing items related to the LTTE, as well as supporting the terror group.
No pleas were recorded and the court set Dec 16 for a re-mention of the case and the accused were taken to Sungai Buloh Prison.
Yong, who is also the Tronoh assemblyman, claimed trial to the rape charge. - Star
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