N Sembilan assembly delay raises questions of ‘one-man show’ govt, DAP rep says

Eleven members of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition party in Negeri Sembilan have criticized the state government for postponing today's state assembly sitting without providing official notification. State opposition leader J Arul Kumar stated that the assembly was scheduled to convene until October 22, with the meeting being opened by the Yang Dipertuan Besar and assemblymen taking their oaths of office.

At a press conference outside the Wisma Negeri building in Seremban, Arul alleged that they were only made aware of the postponement through a press conference announcement by the chief minister, Ismail Lasim, last week. Arul questioned the legitimacy of this method of communication, emphasizing that assemblymen must be officially notified, whether via written notice or the state government's e-Dewan online portal.

Arul highlighted that 76 days have passed since the formation of the new state government, and as assemblymen, they are responsible for addressing the people's concerns and discussing policies. The lack of sittings deprives them of their platform to represent their constituents. Arul inquired whether the postponement was due to the absence of an executive council following the revocation of appointments by the ruler.

He argued that a new executive council could facilitate smoother government operations and help the chief minister govern more effectively. However, with just Ismail as the chief minister, Arul questioned how he could manage the roles of 10 other individuals. Moreover, Arul posed a query about the chief minister's ability to respond to questions from all 35 assemblymen when they convene together.

Last week, Ismail had announced that the state assembly sitting scheduled for October 16 would be postponed until the end of November to align with the budget tabling session. Arul disputed this claim, asserting that the budget should be presented in a separate session. He contended that the absence of the one-week sitting would result in fewer opportunities to address various questions and concerns.