KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — Perlis Speaker Yazid Mat will not submit the resignation letter of Titi Tinggi assemblyman Yip Sun Onn to the Election Commission.
Confirming this with The Malaysian Insider when contacted this evening, Yazid said that he was still “considering” what to do with the letter.
“We are trying to speak to him, trying to persuade him to come back to the Dewan. We have to cool him down,” he said.
He claimed that this message had already been conveyed to Yip through the latter’s close friend in the state executive council.
“He has calmed down now... he has positively calmed down,” he said.
Yazid also scoffed at DAP leader Lim Kit Siang’s claim that the speaker had no right to try and convince an assemblyman to retract a resignation letter and should instead exercise standard protocol by submitting it to the EC.
Once the letter reaches the EC, a by-election would have to be called for the state seat within 60 days.
“That is his (Lim’s) own narrow interpretation of my role. As the speaker, it is still within my jurisdiction to accept the letter. Anyway, it is none of his business.... this is not even his state,” he said.
Yazid also admitted that he had already known about the letter since yesterday, saying that a meeting was immediately called to discuss the matter with Yip.
“Yes, we held a meeting in the mentri besar’s guest room yesterday with Yip, myself, two exco members and my deputy speaker.
“At the time, Yip was angry, he was very angry,” he said.
Yazid said that at the meeting, Yip had lashed out at the MCA top leadership, blaming them for his removal from the state executive council line-up.
During the swearing-in on Friday, Yip (picture), who was formerly the New Town Development, Local Council and Housing Committee chairman, was replaced by Indera Kayangan assemblyman Dr Por Choo Chor.
“He (Yip) was not angry with the mentri besar or his other colleagues in the Perlis government. He was angry with the MCA leaders,” said Yazid.
He admitted that Yip had yet to inform him he wanted to retract the letter but still said he would not be submitting it to the EC.
“Let some time pass, we will settle this amicably. There is no need to rush. I think we have managed to diffuse the situation,” he said.
He added that there was no time frame for him to submit the letter to the EC.
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