JOHOR BARU, Aug 23 ― The Johor state legislative assembly meeting that would have started tomorrow has been postponed again after a Covid-19 case was detected during risk assessment.
This is the second time that the fourth session of the Johor state assembly has been rescheduled due to Covid-19.
It is learnt that state health authorities were alerted of the situation after a staff member of the Johor state assembly tested positive for Covid-19 earlier today.
Johor Speaker Suhaizan Kaiat said the meeting, which was supposed to be held tomorrow and on Wednesday, has been rescheduled to September 6 and 7 instead.
He said the postponement was made under Standing Order 7 (3) of the State of Johor Regulations and Standing Orders.
“Based on the risk assessment that has been undertaken, the Johor Health Department recommends that the state assembly sitting be postponed.
“All state assemblymen have already been informed of the risk assessment and new postponement dates,” said Suhaizan when contacted by the media here tonight.
Last Sunday, four assemblymen were reported to have been barred from entering the state assembly due to high Covid-19 infection risk.
MIC’s Tenggaroh assemblyman K. Raven Kumar tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, while DAP’s Tangkak assemblyman Ee Chin Li is serving a home quarantine order after he was identified as a close contact.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) Johor Lama assemblyman Rosleli Jahari had initially tested positive through an Antigen rapid test kit (RTK-Ag), but was cleared by a second test at Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA).
DAP’s Senai assemblyman Alan Tee Boon Tsong was advised to not attend the state assembly sitting as he was suffering from a cough.
Both assemblymen were told to self-quarantine until tomorrow.
Last week, the 14th Johor state legislative assembly sitting was officiated by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar on August 12, and was postponed before resuming today following a Covid-19 risk assessment.
Among the preventive measures as part of the risk assessment included holding a travel bubble for elected representatives, as well as ensuring all assemblymen, state assembly staff and media practitioners take the RTK-Ag test before the session starts every day.
