It says their absence was due to a misunderstanding and hopes the matter can be resolved quickly.
GEORGE TOWN: Penang PKR will apply to be exempted from restrictions in allocations for party reps who were absent from the governor’s swearing-in ceremony last month.
Deputy Chief Minister I and PKR rep Mohd Rashid Hasnon said a letter had been sent to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng expressing hope that the matter could be solved quickly.
He said the issue was due to a misunderstanding as the PKR’s state convention took place at the same time as the swearing-in ceremony.
“The Penang government’s hope is that this issue can be put to rest and settled amicably so we can focus on developing the state,” he said in a statement today.
Rashid added that the functions management and protocol division at the state secretary’s office had duly sent invitations for the governor’s swearing-in ceremony to all state assemblymen and MPs.
Two days ago, Lim decided to hold off the third quarter RM50,000 allocation for assembly members who did not turn up at Governor Abdul Rahman Abbas’ swearing-in on April 29.
The issue cropped up after PKR’s Norlela Ariffin took to Facebook, saying that she would have to hold a fundraiser for her area’s community projects since her allocation had been put on hold.
She claimed she was told to stay put at the Penang PKR convention, after instructions from state PKR chairman Mansor Othman.
Sources told FMT that at least seven reps from DAP, PKR and Umno did not attend the swearing-in ceremony at Seri Mutiara.
Rashid also stressed that the restrictions imposed on the RM50,000 allocation, known as an “outright grant”, was not a “freeze” as claimed by some quarters.
“This just means the RM50,000 will not go straight to the assemblymen (who were absent).
“It just means you will have to apply for the sum from the chief minister’s office directly,” he said.
Chief Minister Lim Guang Eng said earlier he wanted the reps to explain in writing why they were not present at the swearing-in ceremony.
The outright grant of RM200,000 a year is usually given to reps on a quarterly basis. This is apart from their RM300,000 yearly assemblyperson’s grant.
Rashid said those who had notified the government of prior engagements or those travelling overseas are excluded from this “punishment”.
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