From Elmi Rizal Alias
ROME, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives should learn from the court ruling on the Kota Siputeh case where the state seat was declared vacant following its assemblyman being absent from two consecutive State Assembly sittings without permission, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"I am disappointed something like this happened... I do not want to make any assumptions because in the critical situation now, we need elected representatives at the national and state levels to take seriously legislature sittings.
"It is part of their main responsibilities as the sittings are where they can voice out the people's problems," he told Malaysian journalists before presenting Malaysia's views at the World Summit on Food Security here Tuesday.
On Monday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court (Appeals and Special Powers) in declaring the Kota Siputeh seat in Kedah vacant, stated that Datuk Abu Hassan Sarif was no longer the BN assemblyman for it following his failure to attend two consecutive state assembly sittings without the Speaker's permission.
Judge Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin who presided over the case also ordered the Election Commission (EC) to hold a by-election there.
Muhyiddin, who is also BN deputy chairman, added that elected representatives must live up to the people's expectations, failing which they would be rejected when polls came.
The EC, which had stated there was no casual vacancy for the seat as a result of Abu Hassan's non-attendance of the seatings as he had produced sick certificates for his absence, has stated that it would appeal the decision to the very highest level.
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