KUCHING, June 4 — Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan said Sarawak state assemblymen should not continue to receive their salaries and allowances after the term of the state assembly automatically expires on June 6.
The assembly’s term will automatically end on Sunday as it will be five years since it first met following the 2016 state election.
“Although the Yang di-Pertuan Agong extends the ‘life’ of the Sarawak State Cabinet, it does not mean that the ‘life’ of the state assembly is extended,” he told Malay Mail.
Voon, who is a practising lawyer, said the Emergency only involves the suspension of the state election and preventing the state assembly from holding any meeting, but not the extension of its term after it has expired.
“Since the state legislature will automatically expire on June 6, the term of all state assemblymen will also expire and with that, they should not be entitled to any salaries and allowances,” he said.
He added with the expiry of their term, it is logical that they should not be allowed to issue grants or approve minor rural projects without any sanction of the state assembly.
He said only state ministers should receive their salaries as they will be members of the caretaker government, but should not be receiving their salaries as state assemblymen.
He also said the assistant ministers cannot be paid their salaries as they are not considered as members of the Cabinet under Article 7A of the Sarawak Constitution.
“Only full ministers appointed under Article 6 of the State Constitution are considered as members of the Cabinet,” he said, adding that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree is that the Cabinet can function as normal but he did not say anything about assistant ministers.
