Penang State Assembly accepts Saifuddin Nasution's reasons to skip sitting

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang State Legislative Assembly today accepted the reasons given by Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for being absent during the opening of the First Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 14th Penang State Assembly.

Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang said the state assembly had received a letter dated May 23 (Monday) from Saifuddin on Tuesday.

According to him, in the letter, Saifuddin had explained to the assembly that he could not attend the sitting because he had to attend some meetings abroad.

"It would be good for all state assemblymen to attend (the sitting) but there are no compulsory rules that require each of them to attend each sitting. If they cannot attend, they need to inform the state assembly secretary in advance," he told reporters here today.

Earlier, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak officiated the First Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 14th Penang Legislative Assembly at the DUN Building, Lebuh Light today.

In Oct 2020, a commotion broke out during the state assembly sitting following a verbal exchange among a few members of the house over the absence of Pantai Jerejak assemblyman.

Some assemblymen also described the Pantai Jerejak assemblyman as receiving gaji buta (getting paid for not doing any work) by not attending the state assembly sitting.

Meanwhile, Law said the First Meeting of the Fifth Session will hear more than 700 oral and written questions, besides debating a motion on the nomination of candidates for the appeal board of the freedom of information committee.

-- BERNAMA