GEORGE TOWN: The Penang state government will assess the roles and performances of five PKR assemblymen who had abstained from voting down a motion on land reclamation, in government-related tasks.
It will also assess the role of a DAP assemblyman, who had voted for the motion.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the assemblymen's "irresponsible actions" had affected the Pakatan state government confidence’s in them.
"At present, their duties as assemblymen will continue as normal together with their government constituency allocations.
"However, the state government will assess their role and performance in government-related tasks," he said in a statement issued today.
On Friday, assemblyman Muhammad Farid Saad (Barisan Nasional - Pulau Betong) had tabled a motion at the State Legislative Assembly for all reclamation projects to be put on hold pending Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment reports.
He also called for the cancellation of projects deemed detrimental to the environment.
The motion was rejected by a 23-vote majority.
Nine BN assemblymen and one DAP assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu (Tanjung Bungah) voted for the motion, while five PKR assemblymen abstained from voting.
They were Ong Chin Wen (Bukit Tengah); Norlela Ariffin (Penanti); Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga); Dr T Jayabalan (Batu Uban); and Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubuk).
The actions of Teh and the five PKR assemblymen had earned the wrath of Lim, who questioned their motives as well as reprimanded them.
In his statement, Lim also commented on a column published by online news portal.
The column had raised question as to why veteran DAP leader Lim Kit Siang can be allowed to ask BN to respect the rights of two MCA assemblymen who had abstained against a DAP motion in 2002, while his son Guan Eng cannot respect the rights of the five PKR to abstain against an Umno motion.
"We must remember that the two MCA assemblymen were abstaining because they opposed the RM 1 billion Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) project that waa proposed by their own BN government.
"The difference is that the PORR had not been finalised (and was never built until today) unlike the land reclamation projects that were approved and finalised by BN," he said.