Four Bills to be tabled

The Star

5 days ago

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah state assembly sitting scheduled for two days starting today will see the tabling of four Bills covering supplementary supply, state sales tax, forestry, as well as climate change and carbon governance.
'We normally have at least three sittings a year, so (this time) there's more attention because if the state assembly dissolves after this, it will be the final sitting of the term,' said Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim M. Yahya (pic).
'If not, it will be the third sitting this year. Nothing out of the ordinary this time, just a regular sitting.'
He added that the sitting will also be broadcast live on social media, including YouTube, to enable the public to follow debates, especially those concerning state policies, without needing to attend in person.
'I think it's better for people to watch it because our focus is solely on the debates. There are many benefits to live broadcasts,' he said, adding that the live telecast also encourages assemblymen to maintain decorum and proper conduct during proceedings, and ensures quality debates as they are aware they are being observed.
'If I were an assemblyman, I'd also be more disciplined, knowing that I'm being followed live by the public.
'The good thing is, the coverage will be wider since not everyone can come to the assembly,' he said.
He also said that the Sabah state assembly building is gazetted as a security zone, and, therefore, certain restrictions must be adhered to in the surrounding area to avoid it becoming an uncomfortable environment for official matters.
'It's not that we're stopping people from coming, but we don't want the state assembly to feel like a convention centre with crowds swarming around.
'Since the area is already gazetted as a security zone, there are limits - please observe them,' he said.
Asked about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), Kadzim said they have not yet been able to fully utilise the technology due to some limitations, especially language translation.
'If one day AI can be used for legislative sittings, we could use it to assist in our work, including producing the Hansard and so forth,' he added.
Kadzim also confirmed that the 16th Sabah State Legislative Assembly will be automatically dissolved on Nov 11 if it is not dissolved earlier.
He said the five-year term of the assembly is calculated from the date of the first sitting of the 16th state assembly, which was Nov 12, 2020, thus making Nov 11 the end of the five-year term.
He said that there was some misunderstanding regarding the date of the automatic dissolution, with some assuming the term starts on the polling day of the 16th Sabah state election (Sept 26, 2020) or on Sept 22, which was the date for early voting.
'Some count from polling day, others think it starts from the date the elected representatives were sworn in (Oct 9, 2020).
'It is not counted from the polling day, the announcement of the election results or the swearing-in of assemblymen.
'It is counted from the date of the first sitting of the new legislative term,' he said, Bernama reported.
Kadzim said if the state assembly dissolves automatically on Nov 11, Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman and the Election Commission will be formally notified.
'An election for the state must then be held within 60 days from the date of dissolution,' he added.