MENTERI Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is disgusted by the walkout by the 15 "cowboy" opposition state assemblymen.

Likening them to the rowdy gun slingers of the American Wild West in the 1800s, he said they could not walk in and out of the state assembly as they pleased.

"They are like cowboys who feel they can do anything as and when they please," he said in his winding-up speech when commenting on the walkout early in yesterday's proceedings.

Mohamad said the boycott of the proceedings by the opposition was foolish.

"The state assembly is not a place for people to shout and misbehave. There are proper channels for us to air and resolve our grievances without resorting to such behaviour."
Earlier, state opposition leader, Anthony Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Lobak), had raised his voice to express his dissatisfaction over the fact that all opposition questions had been placed at the bottom of the order paper.



"The speaker should allow us to take turns (between the BN and opposition) in raising questions. He cannot give preference to the BN representatives alone," he said.

However, Speaker Datuk Razak Mansor overuled the request on grounds that the assembly would not be able to finalise matters and no decisions could be reached if this was done.

The speaker then asked Datuk Roslan Md Yusof (BN-Johol) to continue with the next question.

At this point, the opposition state assemblymen walked out.

Mohamad said that although the opposition had the right to walk out, it was disrespectful to proceedings.

He said they should have raised the matter to the Amendment of Rules Committee for action.

"If they (opposition) had been victimised in any way, then it would be fair for them to walk out.

"In this case, the speaker did what was best for the proceedings and the opposition should have waited for the assembly to end and later raise the issue to the committee.

"Their boycott has unduly disrupted the proceedings and I am afraid it will create a precedent.

"Just because there are 15 of them does not mean they have a right to do as they please. What are they really trying to prove?"

He said the opposition must learn to conduct themselves in an orderly manner and respect the rules and regulations of the assembly.

Mohamad added that many opposition state assemblymen had also directed questions to the wrong person "and I feel they do not fully understand how the assembly functions".