ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor State Legislative Assembly today decided that assemblymen who are absent during the sitting will not be allowed to delegate their oral questions to other members present, effective next year.

Speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi announced the matter before the question and answer session began at Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Kota Iskandar today.

"I have decided that from next year's meeting, state assemblymen who are absent will not be allowed to ask their oral questions through other assemblymen present.

"Absence is absence. We will not allow members who do not abide by the rule as it would affect the assembly's credibility," said Mohd Puad who also Rengit assemblyman.

He was referring to the incident when three state assemblymen who were absent during yesterday's sitting, had their oral questions were read out by other representatives.


"Yesterday the assemblymen for Mahkota (Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain), Tangkak (Ee Chin Li), and Panti (Hahasrin Hashim) were absent by authorised notice. The trio submitted oral questions, which were read out by other state assemblymen.

"I refer to Johor State Assembly Standing Orders 26(4), that if a member who is entitled to an oral reply fails to rise and ask the question, that means the honourable member is not present," he said.

Mohd Puad said the Johor State Legislature also does not allow state assemblymen to be proxies and the same applies to oral questions that cannot be represented.

"I would also like to remind you that oral questions are the pulse of this legislative assembly, and we have also found that there are state assemblymen who do not send any questions or only send one or two questions.

"We hope to improve on this matter in the future," he added.

-- BERNAMA