PKR’s Penanti assemblyperson Norlela Ariffin broke down and cried during the state legislative assembly proceedings today, the fifth day of the sitting of the House.

Norlela burst out emotionally when the state executive councillor in charge of tourism, Danny Law Heng Kiang, was winding up the budget debate on tourism.

She cried that her constituency lacked tourism and development activities, adding that she had raised the issue of budget allocations for her constituency two years ago.

Norlela ( photo ) asked for financial aid for a floating homestay project, which would help boost the economic activities of the kampung people in Penanti.

“The state government should be concerned about this. They do not care at all, for there already are tourism and high-impact developments on the island, but none for Penanti,” she sobbed.

“You (state government) never listened to what I have said. I have been asking allocation for the floating homestay for more than two years,” she added.

“I was hoping to get some funding during this budget announcement, but there is none.”

Her remarks prompted her party colleague, state executive councillor Abdul Malik Kassim, to lose his cool.

“The budget specifically mentions Permatang Pauh. No other constituency is mentioned, so what more you want?” Malik, the Batu Maung assemblyperson, said as he frantically waved the budget document with his hands.

Umno rep expresses sympathy

Penanti is a state seat under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, which is held by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

A ruckus broke out when Roslan Saidin (Umno-Pinang Tunggal) interjected to express his sympathy for Norlela, with several DAP representatives, including RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima), demanding that he sits down.

Deputy speaker Maktar Shapee ordered Roslan to sit, but he refused.

Maktar then said that Roslan was not so passionate about his constituency as he was with Penanti during his debate.

This led to Roslan to shout at Maktar to withdraw his statement, which the latter did.

Norlela may be seriously fighting her cause in the House, but at the canteen during a break, her peers - other assemblypersons from Pakatan Harapan and Umno - laughed heartily at the incident.

Another assemblyperson who shed tears during the state assembly sitting was Berapit DAP representative Lydia Ong Kok Fooi.