PH reps slam Negeri Sembilan govt over postponed legislature sitting

Pakatan Harapan (PH) 11 assemblymen in Negeri Sembilan have criticized the state government for delaying today's state assembly meeting without informing them through official means. State opposition leader J Arul Kumar stated the assembly was set to begin today and continue until October 22, with the governor and assemblymen swearing their oaths.

During a press conference outside the Wisma Negeri building in Seremban, Arul claimed they were unaware of the postponement until last week, when they heard Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim make the announcement at a press conference. However, Arul expressed uncertainty about the confirmation, as they were not formally notified of the delay via a written notice or the state government’s e-Dewan online portal.

Arul emphasized that the assemblymen must be officially informed of any postponement, which is why they are present today – they were not notified of the sitting's postponement. With 76 days since the formation of the new state government, Arul argued that the lack of assembly sessions deprives them of raising people's concerns and discussing policies.

He questioned whether the postponement was due to the lack of an executive council following the revocation of Ismail's appointments by the ruler last month. Arul noted that while the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional administration has 25 assemblymen, including the Menteri Besar, a new executive council could facilitate smoother government operations.

Without a council, Arul argued, the Menteri Besar faces the challenges of managing the government alone, which is impossible when he would need to answer questions from 35 assemblymen. Last week, Ismail announced that the state assembly meeting scheduled for October 16 would be postponed until the end of November to align with the budget presentation.

However, Arul contended that the budget was to be presented in a separate session and that the absence of a one-week session reduces the opportunities to address various questions and issues.