GEORGE TOWN: A motion to vacate four seats in the Penang state legislative assembly will be tabled at the sitting scheduled for March 6, says Chow Kon Yeow.
The Penang Chief Minister said the vacant state assembly seats involved are Sungai Acheh, Seberang Jaya, Bertam and Telok Bahang.
“This follows the Federal Court’s decision on the validity of the matter in the state constitution that prohibits elected assemblymen from leaving the party as stipulated in the state constitution,” he told reporters here, Monday (Feb 20).
In 2020, Sungai Acheh assemblyman Zulkifli Ibrahim, Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya), Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (Bertam) and Zolkifly Md Lazim (Telok Bahang) had filed writs of summons against the State Assembly and its Speaker to challenge the motion introduced in October 2020 for the four to vacate their respective seats and by-elections to be held.
However, on Dec 16, 2022, Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat dismissed the leave applications of the four Penang assemblymen to challenge the competency of the state legislative assembly to pass an anti-hopping law.
According to Article 14(A) of the Penang State Constitution, a state assemblyman must vacate his seat if he resigns, is stripped of his membership, ceases to be a politician or is chosen as a candidate by another political party.
Earlier, Chow, who is also the Padang Kota assemblyman, said the Penang State Assembly must convene for the last time before it is dissolved to make way for the state election because the state constitution stipulates that the Penang state assembly must convene within a period of no more than six months after it is dissolved.
