The Pakatan Rakyat government of Penang is avoiding the question-and-answer session in the state assembly because its has "serious issues to hide", say the state's BN Youth leaders.

The BN leaders took this stand today, after visiting the Penang legislative assembly for an "observation".

NONE State BN Youth information chief H'ng Khoon Leng ( left ) said the state executive councillors may not wish to answer certain questions put to them as those issues were "serious".

The controversial hill slope development projects such as the one in Bukit Relau and the "questionable" RM6 million tunnel system from Butterworth to the island to ease traffic congestion were some of the issues, H'ng said.

"They have chosen not to take written or verbal questions on these serious issues. They have killed the democratic process by not allowing the question-and-answer session," he added.

Asked whether the BN leaders were merely parroting Pakatan's ‘democracy is dead' slogan, H'ng retorted, "the truth is the truth".

"This is not the first term, the state government is already in the second term!" he said.

H'ng also blamed Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for the "death of democracy" in the state legislative assembly by not insisting that the Q&A session be held.

This sitting is the first term of the 13th state legislative assembly and Lim has "created history" by not making sure that the House practices democracy, he said. "Indeed, Penang leads, but it leads in the wrong way."

Lim as the chief minister had the right to wield his executive powers to overide the decision of the House secretary and allowing the question-and-answer session to go on as usual.

'CM can override the decision'

"However, he chose not to do it when, in the interest of democracy, he can overide the decision of the state assembly secretary," H'ng added.

NONE Backing him was state BN Youth chief Oh Tong Keong ( right ), who said the House should comply with its rules and regulations.

"The elected representatives have the right to ask questions and the exco members must reply. We hope the Penang government will reconsider having the Q&A session," Oh said in reference to Lim's expression of "surprise" that there was no Q&A session.

Lim said the decision not to allow the session was decided by the assembly secretary, based on the recommendation of the stat legal adviser Faiza Zulkifli.

Lim said that he does not wish to intervene in her decision as there must be separation of powers between the executive and assembly.

However, when asked, Faiza refused to respond, saying, "I have nothing to comment."

She also refused to confirm or refute Lim's statement.

State secretary Farizan Darus, who was with Faiza, said, "We will talk to the CM about it."

The suspension of the session for lack of time, as announced by speaker Law Choo Kiang on Tuesday, was widely criticised by the opposition, all of whom are Umno assemblypersons.

State opposition leader Jahara Hamid described the absence of the Q&A session as a "death penalty on democracy" and that "democracy has died in the House".

As for their first impression of the state assembly proceedings, Oh said "there are many new people".

On the performance of the speaker, H'ng said he is "fairer than the previous one". Law, who is Bukit Tambun assemblyperson, replaced Abdul Halim Hussain.