KOTA KINABALU, July 14 — The Sabah state assembly is in no danger of an automatic dissolution, said Speaker Datuk Kadzim Yahya here.

He said that although there are provisions to say that the assembly must convene within six months of its most recent sitting, there are exceptions under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021.

"People should not be confused just because we have not convened since last December’s Budget sitting,” he said in a short statement here.

"The state assembly is ready to reconvene at any time the state decides it should.”

Kadzim’s statement comes after Upko president Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau said the state was risking a legal automatic dissolution as the six-month period since last December 23 was about to end.

Tangau had urged the state government under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to reconvene the state assembly before the Emergency ends at midnight on August 1 to avoid automatic dissolution.

He also said since the state assembly was last adjourned on December 23, 2020, it has passed the six-month interval between one legislative session and another as of June 23 this year.

"The Emergency currently halts the legislative clock and avoids automatic dissolution, but the clock will resume after August 1.

"By convening the state assembly after August 1, the state government risks exposing the state to another snap election since the last one in September 2020,” he said.