Penang PKR lawmaker bursts into tears, accuses state of ignoring her questions
(Malay Mail Online) – A Penang PKR backbencher bursts into tears today after failing to get a response from the DAP-led state government in the legislative assembly to her questions regarding her Penanti constituency.
Norlela Ariffin had asked state executive councillor for tourism development Law Heng Kiang (Batu Lanchang — DAP) about infrastructure for home stay projects in Penanti when the latter was delivering his winding up speech.
“DAP is supposed to be a social democratic party that listens… I spoke for an hour, and only Padang Kota listened to me,” she said, referring to state executive councillor for local government, traffic management and flood mitigation Chow Kon Yeow.
Law responded saying the state has come out with initiatives to promote homestay programmes such as organising workshops, contests and carnivals, but Norlela did not appear to be satisfied.
She lamented that she had been waiting for the winding up speeches for replies to issues she raised for her constituents in Penanti that included lack of infrastructure for roads, illegal factories, lack of proper jetties for fishermen and infrastructure for homestay programmes.
“I’m not getting any answers on these issues affecting the rural people, I don’t understand why the state refuses to understand or listen,” she said before bursting into tears.
She also pointed out that Penanti is in Permatang Pauh, the constituency that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had spent his whole life defending.
Barisan Nasional assemblyman Datuk Roslan Saidin then joined in, stating that his constituents in Pinang Tunggal faced similar issues.
“We feel sorry for her because we are having the same situation too as we have been raising issues all this time and were ignored and now we are hearing it from the other side,” he said.
His interruption led to a heated exchange between him and several other Pakatan Harapan backbenchers as the Deputy Speaker Datuk Maktar Shapee tried unsuccessfully to restore order for about five minutes.
They finally sat down when Law stood up to continue reading his speech.
