SEREMBAN, March 21 — The First Meeting of the Fifth  Session of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly scheduled to start today has been postponed to a date to be announced after the Speaker and his deputy tested positive for Covid-19. 

Negri Sembilan (NS) Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun said he and State Secretary Datuk Dr Razali Ab Malik had an audience this morning with the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, to inform His Highness of the matter and to seek consent to adjourn the meeting.

Tuanku Muhriz had been scheduled to open the four-day sitting.

"Apart from the two leaders, there are 23 officers, including department heads in the state who are infected with Covid-19. The postponement of this state assembly meeting is the first time this has happened in the state, and it is due to the pandemic.

"According to the Standing Orders, a temporary speaker can be appointed but because many state legislature staffers are also infected with Covid-19, the meeting had to be postponed,” he told reporters here.

Aminuddin said apart from that, the Customary Land Tenure Enactment Bill 2022 and the Jempol Municipal Council Enactment Bill 2022 that were to be tabled at this meeting required the presence of the Speaker and his deputy.

Meanwhile, the state government has also received cooperation from the Negri Sembilan Association of the Deaf to provide sign language interpreter services to ensure that the hearing impaired can follow the proceedings of the state assembly this time. — Bernama