Selangor Speaker Hannah Yeoh has expressed pride over the state assembly’s debate on the Darul Ehsan Investment Group (DEIG) yesterday, saying that it shows its check-and-balance at work.

She said that unlike key questions about 1MDB that remain unanswered in Parliament, the state assembly has swooped on DEIG even before it has begun operations.

“Unlike Parliament where issues on 1MDB remain unanswered for a long time, in Selangor, even before DEIG has any activity, the select committee has already presented a paper.

“So there is real investigation happening here. There is check-and-balance and all the assemblypersons - (the debates were) bipartisan yesterday - it took time to debate, and the menteri besar himself replied to say that we will subscribe to the highest form of governance for DEIG,” she told a press conference at the state assembly lobby today.

Yeoh said although the ‘unusual’ spectacle has left people wondering if there is a major uprising amongst assemblypersons against Menteri Besar Mohd Azmin Ali ( photo ), such debates should be the norm, unlike other legislatures that seem to act like a ‘rubber stamp’.

“Questions and answers regarding the administration of the state should take place in the house, so people must start getting used to select committees checking on the executive, and the executive having to come back to the state assembly (with a reply).

“This is the norm. It should not be seen as an awkward thing. So to me, I am very proud that this has happened in the state assembly because it shows that the check-and-balance is in place,” she said.

Azmin to report on steps taken

Yesterday, JP-Abas had tabled a report of its findings on DEIG at the state assembly.

The Selangor government has until the state assembly’s next session in November to respond to the JP-Abas report, which contained two main recommendations.

The first is that the state government tables a white paper to explain the DEIG’s role and governance system to convince the state assembly that DEIG is needed and its planning is comprehensive.

The second recommendation is that DEIG postpones all activities, pending the tabling of the white paper, particularly those involving joint ventures with the private sector.

Apart from the two key proposals, the report also made five supporting recommendations.

The tabling was followed by a debate about the newly established state-linked company, after which Azmin vowed that DEIG would adhere to the highest standards of governance.

Yeoh, who has been pushing to strengthen the legislature since she was sworn into office in 2013, lauded the debates as showing some maturity.

She said the assemblyperson’s speeches from both sides of the political divide had focused on the issue at hand and there was little politicking or personal attacks against Azmin.

"You cannot see this in other places, what has happened here," Yeoh ( photo ) said.

However, the debate was erroneously reported as a motion to stop DEIG in some media reports yesterday.

The recommendations of the state assembly’s select committees are not legally binding for the state government to act upon.

When met with reporters later, Azmin reassured that the recommendations in the JP-Abas report are already being looked into, and DEIG’s governance issues will be resolved before it commences operations next year.

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