KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 – Kedah legislative assembly speaker Datuk Dr Abd Isa Ismail said he had no choice but to challenge the Election Commisions (EC) decision to keep assemblyman Datuk Abu Hasan Sarif in the Kota Siputeh seat.
“There is no discretionary opportunity for the speaker, the way I look at it,” Abd Isa told reporters in court after today's hearing.
Abd Isa explained that he was duty-bound to sue Abu Hasan and the EC for going against his announcement that the state seat vacant, even if he wanted to give the twice-absent assemblyman a chance.
“In this case, it is so decisive,” he said, and highlighted Article 51 of the Kedah State Constitution, which immediately causes any assemblyman who misses two legislative meetings in a row without permission to be stripped of his membership.
“In this case, on Aug 17, I had informed the Election Commission that the seat was vacant under Article 51 of the Kedah State Constitution.
“With that, it means I no longer acknowledge him as a member,” Abd Isa said of the Umno man.
But Abd Isa added that he will leave it up to the courts to decide whether Kota Siputeh Datuk Abu Hasan Sarif keeps his seat or not.
Dressed in a khaki-coloured sport coat and matching pants, the goateed speaker remained unflustered when asked to comment on deputy prime minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s order this morning, pressuring Abu Hasan to attend the legislature’s next sitting on Tuesday.
“It’s his right to tell him what to do,” Abd Isa marked.
“But he must remember, the master of the House is the speaker,” he said, and added that it was the speaker's discretion to decide who can enter the assembly hall and who to bar.
“I will not resort to violent ways,” Abd Isa stressed.
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violence is reserved for the police just like what the UMNO/BN gangster did in Perak.
Please let it be known that as the raayat, we are no fools and are following development and unethical antics closely.
power to the people!