SHAH ALAM, 28 Nov: The Selangor State Assembly (DNS) Speaker, Hannah Yeoh, said that she is willing to review the salaries of former Assemblymen who were suspended without pay before or during the Assembly session.
She said that the decision came in the wake of the victory of the Member of Parliament for Puchong, Gobing Singh Deo, at the Federal Court regarding wage claims as a representative of the people when suspended.
She said that based on previous suspension reports, seven Assemblymen were suspended and did not receive salaries from between six to 18 months.
“Indeed, the Executive is ready to respect the decision of the Federal Court, but this decision should be made by the legislature.
“Therefore, the Chief Minister informed that he will return to the legislature to investigate this matter under the Committee of Rights and Freedoms.
“We can only meet after the Assembly session ends. So in for the short term after the Assembly session ends, we will meet to look at the cases brought up during the Assembly session,” she said.
Hannah said that in this case, when a decision is reached between the Committee of Rights and Freedoms, it will be taken to the next DNS session which in in March 2015.
“Only in March will we know if they salaries will be paid or not.
“Of course we respect the decision of YB Gobind, but the Committee of Rights and Freedoms, which is chaired by me, needs to convene to come to a collective decision,” said the Assemblyman for Subang Jaya.
Earlier, the Federal Court ordered Parliament to pay the salaries and fringe benefits withheld from Gobind Singh Deo when he was suspended for a year in 2009.
NS
