Fireworks expected at Penang assembly with first use of anti-hopping law
Penang CM Chow Kon Yeow (right) holding up Penang’s anti-hopping law at a press conference declaring that the four PPBM assemblymen would be removed. With him is Penang PKR chief Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state assembly sitting next Monday promises to be an exciting one as four legislators aligned with Perikatan Nasional (PN) are expected to be voted out by their Pakatan Harapan counterparts.
Breaking the year-end tradition of tabling the state budget, an emergency motion to invoke Article 14A of the Penang Constitution forcing the four seats to be vacated would take precedence before the chief minister’s budget speech.
The four assemblymen – Dr Afif Bahardin, Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq, Zolkifly Md Lazim and Zulkifli Ibrahim – have sent legal notices to Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow over the proposed motion.
Afif and Zulkifli left PKR to join PPBM, while Khaliq and Zolkifly won their seats as PPBM members and remained loyal to party president Muhyiddin Yassin, when the new PN federal government was formed.
In their legal notice to Chow, the four assemblymen said Article 14A was not in line with the freedom of association promised under the federal constitution.
Constitutional lawyers have also echoed concerns over the legislators’ removal, saying it would be fraught with difficulties as it went against the federal constitution. This was because a precedent was set in 1992 when the Federal Court had declared Kelantan’s anti-hopping law illegal.
Chow, however, had said the PPBM representatives are free to take legal action, as the landmark ruling ought to be revisited by the Federal Court so as to respect the electorate’s decision to vote an assemblyman based on his party affiliation.
PH, represented by DAP, PKR and Amanah, hold a supermajority status with 33 seats in the 40-seat assembly, with DAP having 19, PKR 11, and Amanah, two. The seven-member opposition bench comprises the four PPBM reps, as well as two from Umno, and one from PAS.
Meanwhile, Afif has criticised the state government over his and his three party colleagues’ impending removal from the assembly, calling it hypocritical of PH.
“When there was an individual recently claiming to hold a majority in Parliament, many pledged their support to form a new federal government.
“PH should not claim to be so noble. With MPs jumping to back a new government, your interest is clearly to be part of the corridors of power,” he said, adding that the same people who advocate the anti-hopping law are blind to their own actions.
Afif explained that he was only interested in serving his electorate in Seberang Jaya by choosing to pledge his allegiance to the Muhyiddin-led PN government.
“I was sacked by PKR because I chose to be under PN so that the people in my constituency are better served,” he told FMT.
Afif suggested that Penang’s enactment of an anti-hopping law could be illegal, as the government had been advised in 2012 by a federal legal adviser not to go ahead with the law, but they did so anyway.
Meanwhile, Speaker Law Choo Kiang confirmed receiving a motion to dismiss the four reps, Bernama reported. He said invitations to the press and other attendees might depend on the number of Covid-19 cases in the coming days.
Breaking the year-end tradition of tabling the state budget, an emergency motion to invoke Article 14A of the Penang Constitution forcing the four seats to be vacated would take precedence before the chief minister’s budget speech.
The four assemblymen – Dr Afif Bahardin, Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq, Zolkifly Md Lazim and Zulkifli Ibrahim – have sent legal notices to Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow over the proposed motion.
Afif and Zulkifli left PKR to join PPBM, while Khaliq and Zolkifly won their seats as PPBM members and remained loyal to party president Muhyiddin Yassin, when the new PN federal government was formed.
In their legal notice to Chow, the four assemblymen said Article 14A was not in line with the freedom of association promised under the federal constitution.
Constitutional lawyers have also echoed concerns over the legislators’ removal, saying it would be fraught with difficulties as it went against the federal constitution. This was because a precedent was set in 1992 when the Federal Court had declared Kelantan’s anti-hopping law illegal.
Chow, however, had said the PPBM representatives are free to take legal action, as the landmark ruling ought to be revisited by the Federal Court so as to respect the electorate’s decision to vote an assemblyman based on his party affiliation.
PH, represented by DAP, PKR and Amanah, hold a supermajority status with 33 seats in the 40-seat assembly, with DAP having 19, PKR 11, and Amanah, two. The seven-member opposition bench comprises the four PPBM reps, as well as two from Umno, and one from PAS.
Meanwhile, Afif has criticised the state government over his and his three party colleagues’ impending removal from the assembly, calling it hypocritical of PH.
“When there was an individual recently claiming to hold a majority in Parliament, many pledged their support to form a new federal government.
“PH should not claim to be so noble. With MPs jumping to back a new government, your interest is clearly to be part of the corridors of power,” he said, adding that the same people who advocate the anti-hopping law are blind to their own actions.
Afif explained that he was only interested in serving his electorate in Seberang Jaya by choosing to pledge his allegiance to the Muhyiddin-led PN government.
“I was sacked by PKR because I chose to be under PN so that the people in my constituency are better served,” he told FMT.
Afif suggested that Penang’s enactment of an anti-hopping law could be illegal, as the government had been advised in 2012 by a federal legal adviser not to go ahead with the law, but they did so anyway.
Meanwhile, Speaker Law Choo Kiang confirmed receiving a motion to dismiss the four reps, Bernama reported. He said invitations to the press and other attendees might depend on the number of Covid-19 cases in the coming days.
So frogs have been declared halal in Kelantan since 1992...? What does the Quran and Hadith have to say about that....?
ReplyDeletei believe according to hadi version, as long as it is for religion sake, all r fine, curi boleh, rombak boleh, samun boleh, culik bolih, kataking sure bolih.
DeleteAll is OK, acceptable, as long as it is for the benefit of the Master Race and Master Religion.
DeleteMasuk pintu belakang pun boleh...?
Deletetake azmin as case study, balakang depan kiri kanan atas bawah threesome foursome orgysome sumua bolih.
DeleteGraduate of that (in) famous fart filled well mah!
Delete