IPOH, September 9 — Perak Opposition whip Datuk Seri Zainol Fadzi Paharudin today submitted a motion in the state legislative assembly to shorten the six-month suspension of Gunung Semanggol assemblyman Razman Zakaria.
Zainol filed the motion an hour before the assembly convened, arguing that the punishment imposed on Razman was too harsh for a first-time offence, especially after he had already apologised.
“The statement made by Razman was never intended to incite racial hatred or hurt any party,” Zainol said at a press conference.
“Moreover, he has already apologised in the assembly and before the rights and privileges committee.”
Razman, who also serves as the Perak PAS commissioner, was suspended from the Assembly for six months on April 16.
The suspension stemmed from a motion tabled by DAP’s Bercham assemblyman, Ong Boon Piow, who accused Razman of making slanderous and racially charged remarks.
The remarks were made during a sitting on Dec 2, where Razman alleged that Malaysian citizens had raised Chinese national flags at an event in Teluk Intan.
Last week, Perak Speaker Datuk Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid confirmed that under the current suspension, Razman could only return to the assembly during the next meeting in November.
Zainol, the Sungai Manik assemblyman, argued that the suspension, which officially ends on Oct 16, has undermined Razman’s role as Opposition Leader in scrutinising the government and debating legislation.
“Voters in Gunung Semanggol have effectively lost their representative in the assembly, raising questions about their right to be represented,” he said, noting that the assembly only sits two or three times a year, making it the primary platform to raise the people’s concerns.
