SHAH ALAM, Feb 16 — The Batang Kali seat was today declared vacant effective January 28 after its assemblyman Harumaini Omar failed to attend the State Legislative Assembly sittings for more than six months.
Speaker Ng Suee Lim said the declaration was made in accordance with Article LXIX of the Selangor State Constitution 1959.
“The assemblyman for Batang Kali, YB Harumaini Omar, was found to have been absent without permission from the Speaker throughout the sittings from November 23 to November 30, 2022, December 1 to December 2, 2022, and December 5 to December 6, 2022,” he told a news conference here today.
There were no records in the State Legislative Assembly Office and Speaker’s Office to show the Pejuang assemblyman had applied for permission from the Speaker to be absent from the assembly for that period.
“Based on official records and the attendance book, YB Harumaini last attended a sitting on July 27, 2022. In view that the six-month period is calculated from July 28, 2022, as provided for under Article LXIX of the Selangor State Constitution 1959, his period of absence has exceeded six months.
“Therefore, in exercising my power as Speaker under Article LXIX of the Selangor State Constitution 1959, I hereby declare that the seat of YB Harumaini has fallen vacant from January 28, 2023, onwards,” Ng said.
He added a notice on the vacancy would be sent to the Election Commission soon and Harumaini would get to know of the matter following today’s press conference.
To a question, Ng said Harumaini had never written to or called him regarding his absence from the assembly.
He said Harumaini would be paid his salary and allowances as an assemblyman until January only, but would not lose his pension.
Harumaini is not allowed to appeal the Speaker’s decision and has been barred from attending the State Legislative Assembly sitting, beginning March 13.
According to Ng, Harumaini was the second assemblyman to lose his seat due to prolonged absence from the assembly, with the first being former Port Klang state assemblyman Badrul Hisham Abdullah on January 19, 2011, during the time of then-Speaker Dato’ Teng Chang Khim.
— Bernama
