GEORGE TOWN, March 7 — Sungai Dua assemblyman Datuk Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Nor will remain as the Penang Opposition Leader until the dissolution of the state legislative assembly, Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang said today.
Law, who made the announcement at the state legislative assembly this morning, said today is the last day of the legislative assembly sitting before it is dissolved in a few months’ time.
“So, there is no change in the Opposition Leader and Sungai Dua will remain as the Opposition leader until the dissolution of the legislative assembly,” he said.
Law said the legislative assembly had received a letter from the Penang Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Dominic Lau on February 16 naming former Bertam assemblyman Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq as the state Opposition Leader.
He said five PN assemblymen had supported the appointment of Khaliq as the state Opposition Leader in the letter.
However, after the motion for the four seats held by PN to be vacated was approved yesterday, including Bertam, Law said the question of the Bertam assemblyman being named as Opposition Leader no longer applies as he is no longer an assemblyman.
“So, this issue of the Bertam assemblyman being named as the Opposition Leader does not arise,” he said.
“This term of the state legislative assembly is soon to end so the current Opposition Leader will remain as the Opposition leader,” he added.
Muhamad Yusoff, who is a Barisan Nasional assemblyman, was appointed as the state Opposition Leader since the 2018 general elections.
Due to the unity government between Pakatan Harapan and BN at the federal level, Penang PN had proposed that a PN assemblyman be appointed as the state Opposition Leader.
However, yesterday, four PN assemblymen — Zulkifli Ibrahim (Sungai Acheh), Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya), Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (Bertam) and Zolkifly Md Lazim (Telok Bahang) were dismissed from the state legislative assembly.
They were dismissed after a motion for them to vacate the seats under the state’s anti-hopping law was approved.
