Muhyiddin hopes EC considers state rep’s excuse
Published: Aug 19, 2009 2:50 PM | Updated: Aug 19, 2009 2:52 PM
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin hopes Abu Hassan Sarif will be retained as the state assemblyperson for Kota Siputeh because he has a valid excuse for not attending the Kedah State
Assembly sitting recently.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin hopes Abu Hassan Sarif will be retained as the state assemblyperson for Kota Siputeh because he has a valid excuse for not attending the Kedah State Assembly sitting recently.
He said he was informed that the state assemblyperson could not attend the sitting because he was sick and had a medical certificate to prove it.
"Because the State Assembly sitting was only for one day and, by coincident, he was sick on that particular day, he was considered to be absent for that term. But he had valid reason for being absent and it was not done on purpose," he told a press conference at the Hotel Sunway Seberang Jaya, Penang.
However, he said, it was up to the Election Commission (EC) to determine the position of the state representative from BN based on the provision of the law and proof submitted to the EC.
"I'm convinced that based on the facts presented by the assemblyperson, he was absent not because he deliberately did not want to attend. So, if the EC can consider this fact, the seat need not be declared vacant," he said.
However, he said, BN would accept whatever decision made by the commission on the seat.
The Kedah EC had sent a letter from the Kedah State Assembly speaker, Dr Abdul Isa Ismail, concerning the position of the Kota Siputeh assemblyperson, who was said to have lost his seat, to the EC headquarters
in Putrajaya.
Kedah EC director Zainal Abidin Zakaria said Abdul Isa's letter had informed about the position of Abu Hassan who had forfeited his seat after being absent from the State Assembly sitting twice on April 19 and Aug 9.
Section 51 of the State Constitution provides that a state assemblyperson who is absent from the State Assembly sitting twice consecutively will lose his or her seat and must vacate the seat he or she holds.
- Bernama
He said he was informed that the state assemblyperson could not attend the sitting because he was sick and had a medical certificate to prove it.
"Because the State Assembly sitting was only for one day and, by coincident, he was sick on that particular day, he was considered to be absent for that term. But he had valid reason for being absent and it was not done on purpose," he told a press conference at the Hotel Sunway Seberang Jaya, Penang.
However, he said, it was up to the Election Commission (EC) to determine the position of the state representative from BN based on the provision of the law and proof submitted to the EC."I'm convinced that based on the facts presented by the assemblyperson, he was absent not because he deliberately did not want to attend. So, if the EC can consider this fact, the seat need not be declared vacant," he said.
However, he said, BN would accept whatever decision made by the commission on the seat.
The Kedah EC had sent a letter from the Kedah State Assembly speaker, Dr Abdul Isa Ismail, concerning the position of the Kota Siputeh assemblyperson, who was said to have lost his seat, to the EC headquarters
in Putrajaya.
Kedah EC director Zainal Abidin Zakaria said Abdul Isa's letter had informed about the position of Abu Hassan who had forfeited his seat after being absent from the State Assembly sitting twice on April 19 and Aug 9.
Section 51 of the State Constitution provides that a state assemblyperson who is absent from the State Assembly sitting twice consecutively will lose his or her seat and must vacate the seat he or she holds.
- Bernama
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