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Speaker powerless to determine government motions

Speaker powerless to determine government motions

SHAH ALAM: Selangor State Legislative Assembly Speaker Ng Suee Lim said his post does not empower him to accept or reject any motions from the government for debate in the state assembly sitting as that is determined by the executive.

In the case of Selangor, that would be the menteri besar.

Ng who is also Sekinchan assemblyman said the duty of the speaker is to conduct the proceedings of the assembly.

“The speaker only has the right to consider approving or rejecting the private motion of an assemblyman before bringing it to the assembly,” he said when contacted by reporters last night.

Ng was commenting on a statement of Selangor opposition which claimed he should continue with this year’s second session of the assembly as scheduled to enable debate on the motion of unilateral religious conversion of minors.

The second session of Selangor State Assembly this year which began on July 29 until tomorrow was postponed after meeting for two days.

The motion on unilateral conversion of minor is part of the amendments to an Islamic enactment.

It was rumoured that Ng had cut short the sitting to prevent the motion from being tabled which he denied.

In a related development, Selangor DAP declared that it would be against any motions that permit unilateral conversion of minors and fully backs Ng who is also a DAP leader.

The non-Muslim state excos too have sought an audience with the Selangor ruler over this matter following reports that the motion was put forward by the state Islamic council after obtaining approval from the sultan.