Sacked Penang Island City Councillor Noor Syazwani Mohd Amin is mulling legal action against the state government for terminating her services without reasonable cause.

Noor Syazwani, better known as Wani, said she was not officially told why she was removed immediately from her post last Wednesday, April 19.

She only found out later via media reports that she was sacked due to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) receiving complains about her alleged “abuse of power”.

“If that is the reason, why not mention it in the termination letter but nothing was stated there, I was just told to leave immediately,” Wani told Malaysiakini.

Wani claimed that she was not informed about any wrongdoing on her part which may have caused her to lose her job.

“If indeed there are complaints about me, then show me the proof. I am confident to face the truth,” she said.

“I know where I stand, I know my rights and I know my value.”

‘Human with feelings’

Wani was responding to state Local Government Committee chairperson Chow Kon Yeow who said on Friday that Wani’s terminatiom was in accordance with Section 10(4) of the Local Government Act.

Chow, who is Penang DAP chief, had reportedly told the Chinese media that Wani’s sacking was allegedly linked to complains of “abuse of power” among petty traders.

Wani said she has just taken up the job as councillor in January this year and had barely worked for three months.

She was in the hospital for a month due to a surgery in March and only returned to work in April.

“I have just started to work on my projects and was trying to learn the ropes from my seniors when I received the letter,” Wani said.

“It is still a learning process for me but I’m trying to do my best,” she added.

To her critics, Wani said she has documented all her work in her Facebook.

She expressed deep disappointment at how things have worked out for her when she wanted to contribute her services to the state.

Wani, 30, was appointed a councillor under the NGO quota, and was working on a project related to autism.

“We all have our own dignity. If I had done wrong, let me know, consult me so I can get some advice from you instead of getting rid of me,” she told her bosses.

“I am a human being, I have feelings. I am embarrassed, too.”

Yesterday, after the MBPP’s full council meeting, secretary Yew Tung Seang said the decision to terminate a councillor was solely under the purview of the state government.

Yew added that the decision to replace the councillor was the state’s prerogative.

Such termination is nothing new, Yew said, as another councillor had been terminated before.

In 2015, Penang PAS information chief Iszuree Ibrahim failed in his bid to apply for a judicial review on the state executive council’s decision to remove him from his councillor post.

Iszuree was terminated after he questioned the Penang government’s development policy at PAS’ 60th muktamar in Shah Alam, which led to his colleagues in MBPP urging for his resignation.