Perak to consider meeting with reps as state assembly sittings still off limits

The Perak government will consider the opposition’s proposal for a meeting to be held among the 59 state assemblymen as state assembly sittings cannot be convened during the emergency period.

Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad said the state administration could brief assemblymen on ongoing plans and those that have been completed, including financial status, expenditure and revenue collection.

“However, this will just be a briefing, a debate session cannot be held in the assemblymen meeting which we can hold at a hotel or a banquet hall.

“There is no need to have the speaker at the meeting as this will be wrongly interpreted by certain quarters as it may seem as if we are having an illegal state assembly sitting,” he said to reporters after attending an event in Ipoh today.

Saarani said state assemblymen could also give their feedback and present their views to improve the performance of the state government.

Yesterday, Perak Amanah chairman Asmuni Awi suggested that such a meeting be convened without adopting the official rules of the state assembly like the use of the mace, to enable discussions on the people’s welfare despite the state of emergency.