KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Duyong assemblyman Goh Leong San is now an independent lawmaker, the Malacca state legislative assembly was told today.
State Speaker Datuk Othman Muhamad confirmed receiving notice in his opening speech at the assembly’s first meeting of the year, national news agency Bernama reported.
“I received a letter from DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on this matter,” Othman was quoted saying.
He also said Goh is no longer the state opposition leader, and has been replaced with Ayer Keroh representative Khoo Poay Tiong from the DAP.
Malacca has 28 state seats, with 21 held by the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
With Goh becoming an independent lawmaker, DAP will only hold five seats while PAS retains its single seat.
Goh, the former Malacca DAP chairman from 2005 to 2015, was suspended from the party earlier this year.
The DAP disciplinary committee issued the one-year suspension from this February 7 against Goh and Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him, for allegedly disparaging the party through a court case against another party member.
In February, Sim had reportedly said he and Goh had decided against appealing the suspension within the allocated 14-day period, claiming that the disciplinary action was based on feelings of animosity over a personal conflict blown up into a bigger issue.
