No opposition, no problem: Terengganu MB wants critical backbenchers

 

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the state constitution does not require appointed members of the legislative assembly to be from the opposition.

"We only need to appoint members who represent groups that are currently unrepresented.

"For example, if there are not enough lawmakers who are female, Orang Asli or of other races, we can appoint. The law does not state we must appoint members who are not in the governing parties," Samsuri said, according to Berita Harian.

In view that there are currently no opposition members of the legislative assembly, he urged all the backbenchers to be critical of the state government.

"We have to be prepared to hear criticism from within," he told the press yesterday after his swearing-in ceremony and that of his cabinet last night.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar

Perikatan Nasional won all 32 seats during Terengganu legislative assembly elections on Saturday, marking the first clean sweep since the Johor and Negeri Sembilan legislative elections in 1999.

Appointed members

Under Article 27(2) of the Terengganu constitution, the legislative assembly may, at any time, move a motion that is supported by no less than seven members to appoint non-Muslim or female members.

There can be no more than four appointed members.

Under Article 27(3)(c), the appointed members cannot be members of any political parties, apart from female appointed members.

This law was introduced during the Abdul Hadi Awang administration between 1999 and 2004.

In 2018, PAS member Zuraida Md Noor became the first female member of the Terengganu legislative assembly by means of appointment.