State rep criticises Malacca govt for cutting short assembly sitting
A Malacca state assemblyperson today criticised the BN-led state government for cutting short a special state assembly sitting to only one day on Monday (Dec 27), after several assemblypersons tested positive for Covid-19.
According to Kerk Chee Yee (DAP-Ayer Keroh), the state administration should have taken efforts to ensure that the legislative body is not compromised.
"Throughout 2021, there has been only...
A Malacca state assemblyperson today criticised the BN-led state government for cutting short a special state assembly sitting to only one day on Monday (Dec 27), after several assemblypersons tested positive for Covid-19.
According to Kerk Chee Yee (DAP-Ayer Keroh), the state administration should have taken efforts to ensure that the legislative body is not compromised.
"Throughout 2021, there has been only one (normal) sitting held, and the state exco for health had only stood up to answer questions once. And this time around, there was not even a session for questions and answers.
"How come, in the time of the pandemic, the health exco only answers one question in a year," Kerk asked in a statement.
He was referring to the special state assembly sitting that was held to table the state budget for 2022.
It was initially scheduled to take place over four days but was shortened after four state assemblypersons tested positive for Covid-19 while three others were identified as close contacts.
Kerk said the SOPs implemented by the state assembly, including Covid-19 RT-PCR tests on all assemblypersons and staff members, should have been aimed at ensuring the sitting can still be held.
The Malacca government should have also studied other mechanisms to ensure the legislative body can convene regardless of the pandemic, he said.
This includes holding an assembly sitting online or via a hybrid model.
"We are now in the endemic phase and Covid-19 cases are expected to continue in existence for quite some time in the future.
"If the assembly sitting has to be shortened every time the state government detects a case, it only shows how incompetent the government is in addressing Covid-19 that they have to compromise on our legislative institution."
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