Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today instructed Kota Siputeh assemblyperson Abu Hasan Sarif to attend the Kedah state assembly sitting scheduled for Tuesday.

bagan pinang by election nomination 031009 muhyiddin yasin He said that although Speaker Abdul Isa Ismail had said that Abu Hasan had lost his eligibility as an assemblyperson, Barisan Nasional concurred with the decision by the Election Commission which 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 the speaker can rule otherwise?" he told reporters in Alor Setar.

'It's his duty to attend'

NONE Muhyiddin said Abu Hasan ( right ) should attend the sitting as it was his duty to do so as an assemblyperson.

Abdul 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 Aug 17 for not attending two state assembly sitting consecutively.

Abdul Isa has filed an application seeking a judicial review on the EC's decision.

The state assembly will sit from Tuesday to table the 2010 State Budget.

Speaker reminds Muhyiddin of his role

Meanwhile assembly speaker Abd Isa, in an immediate response, said Muhyiddin must respect the fact that the "master of the house" in a legislative assembly is the Speaker, reports Hafiz Yatim .

azlan Abd Isa said his ruling on the seat vacancy was based on Article 51 of the Kedah constituency. [ see chart ]

He added that he had used his power to declare the seat vacant as Abu Hasan was absent from the sitting twice.

Abd Isa also said that Muhyiddin should have waited for the outcome of the court case first before making the remark.

"If the ruling is in my favour and Abu Hasan attends the sitting, then he would be committing contempt of court," he said.

- Bernama