ALOR STAR, 12 Nov 2009: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today instructed Kota Siputeh assemblyperson Datuk Abu Hasan Sarif to attend the state assembly sitting scheduled for Tuesday.
He said that although Speaker Datuk Dr Abdul Isa Ismail had said that Abu Hasan had lost his eligibility as an assemblyperson, the Barisan Nasional (BN) concurred with the Election Commission (EC)’s decision.
The EC had ruled that there was no vacancy for the seat, and that Abu Hasan was still the assemblyperson for the area.
“He is still an assembly member, and the speaker cannot stop him from attending the sitting.
“The EC has announced that the Kota Siputeh seat is not vacant and that there is no by-election for the area. Under what power can the speaker rule otherwise?” he told reporters after visiting flood victims at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Gunung today.
Muhyiddin said Abu Hasan should attend the sitting as it was his duty to do so as an assemblyperson.
Isa said recently that Abu Hasan was no longer an assemblyperson although the court had yet to make a ruling on his position.
He claimed that Abu Hasan had lost his eligibility since 17 Aug 2009 for not attending two state assembly sittings consecutively.
Isa has filed an application seeking a judicial review of the EC’s decision.
The state assembly will sit from Tuesday to table the 2010 state budget. — Bernama
