Penang speaker rejects motion urging CM to go on leave

The motion proposed by Datuk Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) was rejected by Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang on technical grounds.

In dismissing the motion, Law said the issue should not be discussed in the assembly as the matters were clearly enshrined in the Constitution of the State and the Public Officers Regulations (Conduct and Discipline) (Penang) 1997.

"I had taken quite some time to come to this decision ... I don't have to elaborate. In fact, I can just reject it on technical grounds," he said.

The motion by Muhammad Farid stated that any Penang civil servant and administrator who had been charged in any court for a criminal offence under any Malaysian law must take leave from office until the trial against the person was over and finalised.

At a press conference on the issue, Muhamad Farid claimed that the Speaker had erred in referring to the phrase when rejecting the motion.

"The proposal was forwarded under a provision of Penang Legislative Assembly Standing Orders but the Speaker referred to the Penang State Constitution to reject the motion," he said.

Meanwhile, Penang Legislative Assembly opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid at the same press conference, said all BN representatives wore a white ribbon today to symbolise that the Penang DAP's CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) principles had died.

"There is no more transparency, a lot of effort were made to silence us (BN representatives) by rejecting our proposals ... freedom of speech no longer exists in the assembly," she said.

During the sitting earlier, RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) and Datuk Shah Headan Ayoob Shah (BN-Teluk Bahang) were ordered to leave following a spat between them when Datuk Salleh Man (PAS-Permatang Pasir) was debating the motion of thanks to Penang Governor Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas on his opening speech.