Batang Kali state seat declared vacant after assemblyman absent for over six months

SHAH ALAM - Selangor State Assembly Speaker Ng Suee Lim declares a vacancy for the Batang Kali state seat as its assemblyman Harumaini Omar has been evicted for prolonged absenteeism without notice.

Ng said the decision was made after Harumaini failed to present himself in the Selangor State Assembly meetings for six months without any notice.

He said based on the official statement and attendance book, the assemblyman was absent without the permission of the Speaker for State Assembly meetings from Nov 23 to 30, Dec 1 to 2 and Dec 5 to 6, 2022.

"There were no records from the Selangor State Assembly Office and the Speaker’s office showing Harumaini seeking permission from the Speaker not to attend the meeting on the dates in question," he told reporters at the Selangor State Assembly Building on Thursday.

Also present was Selangor State Assembly Deputy Speaker Hasnul Baharuddin.

He said the official statement and attendance book show Harumaini’s last attendance at the Selangor State Assembly meeting was on July 27, 2022.

"The six-month period is calculated from July 28, 2022, as stated in Article LXIX of the Selangor Government Constitution 1959, and the period of absence of the Batang Kali Yang Berhormat has exceeded six months.

"Therefore, in exercising my authority as Selangor State Assembly Speaker in accordance with Article LXIX, I hereby declare Harumaini’s seat vacant with effect from Jan 28, 2023," he said.

For the record, Harumaini was a candidate of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) who contested in Batang Kali in the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018 and won with a majority of 8,315 votes.