Wednesday, March 08, 2023

Penang govt name four ‘adopted' assemblymen for vacant state seats


MM:

Penang govt name four ‘adopted' assemblymen for vacant state seats




Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the appointment of the four assemblymen was made based on the closest-to-area factor in order to enable them to manage the problems faced by the constituents so that they do not feel marginalised. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Wednesday, 08 Mar 2023 2:38 PM MYT



GEORGE TOWN, March 8 — Penang government has appointed Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman, Lee Khai Loon, Fadhlina Sidek and Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik as ‘Adun Angkat’ (adopted assemblymen) for the four vacant seats of Bertam, Seberang Jaya, Sungai Acheh and Teluk Bahang.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the appointment of the four assemblymen was made based on the closest-to-area factor in order to enable them to manage the problems faced by the constituents so that they do not feel marginalised.


“Actually, when the four (Bersatu) assemblymen left Pakatan Harapan (PH) in 2020, we have already appointed new ones. It is just that every year, we updated it to take the change into recognition,” he told the reporters during his visit to the Chowrasta Market in conjunction with the International Woman’s Day celebration today.

Chow, who is also the PH Penang chairman, said Ahmad Zakiyuddin, the Penang Deputy Chief Minster I who is also the Pinang Tunggal assemblyman will look after Bertam, while Lee, who is Machang Bubok assemblyman, will look after Sebarang Jaya.


“Muhammad Bakhtiar, the Member of Parliament for Balik Pulau, will look after Teluk Bahang, while Education Minister Fadhlina, who is the Member of Parliament for Nibong Tebal will look after Sungai Acheh,” he said.


On Monday, the Penang State Assembly approved the motion to declare vacant the seats of four assemblymen in the state.

The assemblymen, namely Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya), Zulkfili Ibrahim (Sungai Acheh), Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (Bertam) and Zolkifly Md Lazim (Teluk Bahang), were also ordered to leave the state assembly sitting at midday after the majority of the assemblymen voted in favour of the motion.

State Assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang said that the unexpected vacancy of the state seats would not be filled as the State Assembly would be dissolved in less than two years.

For the record, the Federal Court bench chaired by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat had, on Dec 16 last year, dismissed a leave application by the four assemblymen to challenge the competency of the state legislative assembly to pass an anti-hopping law.

The four assemblymen had also filed the suit in 2020 to challenge the constitutionality of Article 14A(1) of the Penang State Constitution, and to stop their seats from being declared vacant, pursuant to Article 14A(1). — Bernama


No comments:

Post a Comment