The Selangor assembly scored another first today when its proceedings were shown ‘live’ on the state government website, starting with the royal address.

selangor dun webcast 210508 sultan enter Operated at a cost of RM13,000, the webcast is on a trial run for the first sitting of the new legislative session, which was opened this morning by the sultan of Selangor.

This assembly, which will sit for four days up to Monday, is the first under the Pakatan Rakyat-led government.

Seri Setia state assemblyperson Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the state government had decided on the webcast in order to prove that the legislature will not serve as a mere ‘rubber stamp’.

“This is part of our efforts to promote transparency and accountability by empowering the state assembly,” he told Malaysiakini.

selangor dun webcast 210508 sultan Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah devoted a large segment of his 75-minute address on stressing on the need to bring proper economic development to the state.

“The state government must ensure the improvement of economic performance and uplift living standards, human resources, education and health for my subjects,” he said.

He urged Selangor residents to be prudent in their spending, and told the government to encourage investments.

He also expressed concern over the way RM27 million in allocations for state assemblypersons had been spent in the first two months of the year.

Some Pakatan legislators had complained that the RM500,000 allocation for each constituency had been utilised before the general election on March 8.

selangor dun webcast 210508 sitting The sultan also expressed concern over the soaring crime rate in the state and urged the authorities to take appropriate action.

Sungai Pinang representative Teng Chang Khim is the first non-Malay speaker of the assembly, while Taman Medan representative Haniza Takha is the first woman deputy speaker.

All but one of the 56-member state assembly were sworn in on April 22.

The remaining legislator, Kota Alam Shah representative M m manoharan 01 Manoharan, took his oath on May 8 at the Kamunting detention camp in Perak, where he has been held since Dec 13 last year under the Internal Security Act.

The detention does not legally affect his position as a legislator, as there are no written laws to stipulate that an ISA detainee cannot continue to perform his or her duties.

However, his request to attend the legislative proceedings has been rejected .

Manoharan, a lawyer, is one of five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force who were arrested soon after a massive street protest by some 30,000 Indian Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur last November. They are serving out an initial two-year detention order.