BUKIT MERTAJAM, March 26 — The Penang government will conduct an engagement session for state assemblymen at a hotel on March 29 and 30, in view that the State Legislative Assembly could not meet during the current emergency period.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the informal meeting would enable all committee chairmen and state assemblymen to play their role as people’s elected representatives during the emergency, which is scheduled to end on August 1.
“This engagement session will be a platform for the people’s voices to be raised. We feel this session is needed to enable state assemblymen to perform their check-and-balance function and give an update on what they are doing,” he told reporters after officiating the excellent service award ceremony of the Seberang Perai City Council here today.
He said every assemblyman would be allowed to ask questions at the session, and so far the meeting secretariat had received more than 100 questions.
Each assemblyman would be given one hour to raise issues and answer questions but unlike State Assembly sittings, there would be no tabling of motions or bills at the engagement session, he added.
Meanwhile, Seberang Jaya state assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin said he might skip the engagement session to protest the state government’s decision in withdrawing allocations for opposition members.
Afif won the seat on a PKR ticket but was subsequently sacked by the party’s disciplinary committee.
The Penang State Assembly last met for six days in October last year.
— Bernama
