By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Nov 5: The current State Legislative Assembly (DUN) tenure will expire on June 6 and not in April as widely reported, DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar clarified today.
He said, the current five-year tenure began on June 7, 2016 following the first sitting of the DUN after the 11th state general.
Henceforth, he said, under Article 21 Clause 4 of the State Constitution, if DUN is not dissolved by June 6, 2020, it will still be effective for the following two months, within which, the state election must be held.
“Thereafter, with Covid-19 or no Covid-19, you must have an election. It is constitutionally mandatory. No choice, whether the political parties are ready or not, you must have an election within 60 days,” Asfia told a news conference at DUN Complex here today.
He explained after the election is held, a new DUN shall be summoned to meet not later than 120 days from that date of the State election.
Asfia who has been DUN Speaker since the year 2000, stressed that a new DUN term does not start not with the day of polling but the day of the first DUN sitting following an election.
“The five years is not from the election (of the last 11th state election held in 2016). The five years is from the first sitting after the election. So, it stretches to five years. And the five years will be (expired on) June 6, 2021,” said Asfia who tried to explain how this DUN term expires on June 6, 2021. — DayakDaily
