Chow: Wait for test results first

Penang state assembly meeting to be adjusted according to outcome

GEORGE TOWN: The state will wait for all the Covid-19 test results and home quarantine outcome of state assemblymen who went to Sabah recently before deciding on how to hold the Oct 12 state assembly meeting.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said so far, all the elected state representatives who went to Sabah to help with the election campaign had tested negative.

“I understand that Health Department required them to stay at home for 14 days.

“We need the final results of the quarantine period. If any of the assemblymen are affected, we are open to readjusting the way that the state assembly meeting is conducted,” he said.

Chow said the few assemblymen who went to Sabah to help with the campaigning had come back on or before Sept 26, and their home quarantine period would have ended before the scheduled assembly meeting on Oct 12.

Since the Sabah election, new cases linked to those who travelled there have been emerging in nearly every state, including Penang.

Bernama reported yesterday that a school in Permatang Janggus in Penaga on the northern end of mainland Penang was ordered to close till Oct 8 after a teacher there tested positive.

It is learnt that the teacher, who lives in Sungai Petani, Kedah, is the wife of a Kedahan politician. She went with her husband to Sabah and eventually tested positive.

On April 17, the state assembly convened for only a little under four hours under a strict movement control order.

Only assemblymen and essential staff members were allowed inside

Dewan Sri Pinang. The usual army of personal assistants and the media stayed out. To maintain transparency, the meeting was broadcast live over the Internet.

Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas appeared in the hall briefly to open the meeting.

Opposition Leader Datuk Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor gave his speech and Chow delivered the Chief Ministerial Address. No other assemblymen were allowed to speak and all their questions were answered by the state executive council in writing.

The state government will need to table next year’s budget for approval during the Oct 12 meeting.

It is also tabling a motion to declare four assembly seats vacant after these assemblymen announced that they had lost faith in Pakatan Harapan.

They are Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (Bertam) and Zolkifli Md Lazim (Teluk Bahang) from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya; left PKR and joined Bersatu) and Zulkifli Ibrahim ( Sungai Acheh; sacked from PKR and now an Independent supporting Perikatan Nasional).

Yesterday, Khaliq Mehtab, Zolkifli and Zulkifli filed a letter of demand to challenge the state government for their move to file such a motion.