THE Penang government will not proceed with the tabling of a motion to declare vacant four seats in the State Legislative Assembly meeting next week after their respective assemblymen had allegedly violated the state’s anti-hopping law.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang state executive council (exco) had decided in a meeting yesterday to defer the tabling of the motion in view of the escalating cases of Covid-19 in the country after the effects of the recent Sabah state election.
The proposal to withdraw the motion, he said, was made by Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman.
He said when the motion, which was already submitted to State Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang, is called in the coming State Legislative Assembly sitting scheduled from Oct 12 to Oct 19, they would propose that the motion be withdrawn.
“We have seen the adverse effects from the recently concluded Sabah election where drastic spikes of Covid-19 infections were recorded across the nation.
“After much deliberation on untoward consequences, the Penang government has decided that during this challenging time, the citizens’ public health and safety must come first,” Chow read from a statement during a press conference in Komtar today.
“With that, the Penang state executive council in its weekly meeting has decided yesterday morning that it would not proceed with the tabling of the motion in the upcoming sitting.
“We will proceed with the intended course of action in the next State Legislative Assembly session, or when it is safer to carry out with the by-elections without jeopardising the citizens’ health and wellbeing.
“In another words, we are not abandoning the motion. We will continue to pursue the motion and we are confident of the motion being carried by the State Assembly which would necessitate by-elections.
“We have decided that by-election may not be suitable this time. We have seen the drastic spikes in Covid-19 infections after the just concluded Sabah state election.
“If the by-elections are held this time, the citizens’ public health and safety may be compromised. So, we are taking this decision in the interest of public health and safety.”
He added that a by-election has to be called within 60 days if the seat is declared vacant.
When asked by a reporter, Chow said the seats in contention are Telok Bahang (Zolkifly Md Lazim), Seberang Jaya (Dr Afif Bahardin), Bertam (Khalid Mehtab Mohd Ishaq) and Sungai Acheh (Zulkifli Ibrahim).
He said following the fall of the Pakatan-led Federal Government in February this year, the state government strongly and categorically deplores the action of a few Penang state assembly members who have since left the Pakatan Harapan coalition and/or no longer in support of Penang’s Pakatan Harapan-led state government.
He also said the decision to table the motion for the coming State Legislative Assembly session from Oct 12 to Oct 19 in declaring the seats concerned vacant was made in an exco meeting on July 20 this year, pursuant to Article 14(A) of the State Constitution.
“This decision was taken bearing in mind that the actions of these few individuals have tarnished the public’s faith in the democratic process and undermined the voters’ mandate in the 2018 General Election,” Chow explained.
Article 14A(1) of the State Constitution reads:
“Subject to this Article, a member of the Legislative Assembly shall vacate his seat if –
(a) Having been elected as a candidate of a political party, he resigns or is expelled from, or ceases for any reason whatsoever to be a member of that party; or
(b) Having been elected otherwise than as a candidate of a political party, he joins a political party.”
Currently, with the Penang Pakatan Harapan government having 33 seats in the 40-seat assembly, Chow believes the motion would be passed with a strong majority if it is put up.
Dr Afif and Zulkifli joined PPBM after leaving PKR while Khaliq and Zolkifly, who won their seats on PPBM tickets, stayed with party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin when the Perikatan Nasional Federal Government was formed.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis
Video by Law Suun Ting