PKR Hutan Melintang assemblyperson S Kesavan who was yesterday suspended from the 2011 state budget assembly sitting, made a surprise appearance today at the state secretariat building in which  the House is located.

Kesavan, 38, told the media that although he has been suspended, his concern for the welfare of his constituents, especially the Indian community, outweighs this.

He said he still wants an answer from the Perak government on the alleged misuse of state land in his constituency. Land meant for the poor and needy, he said, has been given to Umno cronies.

NONEKesavan (right) said this has occurred in Simpang Empat, where 13 lots of vacant state land (measuring 7,000 sq ft) has been given to six Umno cronies and to officials of the Hilir Perak District Office.

He claimed to have proof of the fraudulent activity, based on a written reply that he had received during the last assembly sitting on Aug 3.

Kesavan said that, in October 2008, he requested the Pakatan Rakyat state government, which was in power then, not to approve a planned village scheme in the area as there was "hanky-panky" over the distribution of the land.

When the BN took over the state, he said, it approved the list of land lot beneficiaries that had been held back by Pakatan.

On July 6, he wrote a letter to Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir, but did not receive any response.

He then raised the matter in an oral question during yesterday's sitting of the assembly.

Nizar demands answer

His question was placed at Number 23 of the 31 oral questions listed for the hour-long Question session.

But Question time ended without his question coming up. When Kesavan protested this, he was suspended for the duration of the assembly sitting.

Today, he requested Teja assemblyperson Chang Lih Kang to take up the matter during the sitting.

But again, the Question session ended with just two oral questions answered, following a row in the house.

However, state Pakatan leader Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin brought up the issue in debate, demanding an answer for the plight of the poor and needy who have been deprived of state land.

War of words in assembly over media and budget