ALOR STAR, Sept 2 – Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak today said that Article 52 of the state constitution will not be used to suspend Kota Siputeh assemblyman Datuk Abu Hassan of the Barisan Nasional (BN).
“Using Article 52 would only complicate things further. From the very beginning we did not want to resort to it because we wanted the Election Commission (EC) to make a decision on his status. “Based on the experience in Perak, ultimately it is the EC that decides whether a seat is vacant or not,” said Azizan when asked what action the state government planned to take following the EC yesterday declaring that Abu Hassan was still the valid assemblyman for Kota Siputeh.
However, he said the state government planned to go to the courts to pursue the matter further.
“We say he is disqualified (to be assemblyman) on technical grounds but the EC is also citing technical grounds for him to remain as Kota Siputeh assemblyman. It’s better for a third party like the courts to decide on this,” he said.
Article 52 states that the Speaker can use his powers to sack an assemblymen for violating Article 52 of the state constitution pertaining to non-attendance of assembly sittings.
Kedah state assembly Speaker, Datuk Dr Abdul Isa Ismail had written to the EC on Aug 17 asking it to determine the status of Abu Hassan, who failed to attend two sittings of the assembly.
Abu Hassan had cited ill-health for not being present. – Bernama
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