KANGAR: Perlis Menteri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah is open to including the three state assemblymen whose seats were vacated by Pas in the line-up of the Perlis State Executive Council.
He said this would be subject to the condition that all three — Fakhrul Anwar Ismail, the former Bintong state assemblyman, Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) and Saad Seman (Chuping) — are able to return to occupy their respective seats.
Apart from the three former Pas assemblymen, Abu Bakar, who is also Perlis Perikatan Nasional (PN) deputy chairman, said independent assemblymen are also given the opportunity to be part of the state executive council line-up under his leadership.
“We do not rule out the possibility of bringing the three Pas assemblymen whose party membership was previously terminated into the state executive council line-up if they are able to return as independent assemblymen.
“If no by-election is held and the three assemblymen whose Pas membership was terminated are able to reclaim their seats, then we will decide to form a good team.
“This means that opportunity will be given to any independent assemblyman to be part of this line-up,” he said.
The Election Commission (EC) is reported to be meeting next week to discuss holding by-elections for three Perlis state seats following the unexpected vacancies notified by the speaker of the state legislature.
EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said the commission had today received official notification regarding the vacancy of the seats.
Abu Bakar believes the appointment of new state executive council members will be carried out within two weeks following Pas secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hasan‘s statement today that the appointments must be expedited.
Earlier, Pas decided that its assemblymen would not be part of the state executive council to be formed by Abu Bakar, and that all existing Pas members in the assembly would resign in solidarity and in line with the resignation of the former Menteri Besar from the party, Mohd Shukri Ramli.
No choice but five BERSATU assemblymen
Abu Bakar also said that he had no choice but to appoint four assemblymen from Bersatu to form the state executive council line-up.
Although the number is much smaller and less than half of the previous group, he believes this will not pose a problem.
“Insya-Allah, even though Bersatu only has five assemblymen, it will not be an issue because the minimum number of appointments to the state executive council is four.
“Based on the constitution of the Perlis state government, we need one-third of the total number of assemblymen to form the state executive council line-up, and we currently have five, so we can proceed with arranging the new appointments as soon as possible,” he said when met at the Perlis Menteri Besar’s office today.
At present, Bersatu holds five state seats in Perlis, Pas has six seats, and one is held by Pakatan Harapan, with three others currently declared vacant.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
