PENANG legislative assembly Speaker Law Choo Kiang said today there was no need to debate a Barisan Nasional motion calling for Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to go on leave, pending his corruption case at the High Court.

Law said the Pakatan Harapan government had made it clear that Lim did not have to go on leave when the matter was first brought up last year.

“This was also reported in the media,” he said at the state assembly sitting this morning.

He also said the BN motion was rejected because Lim’s case was now in progress without elaborating further.

Lim was charged with approving the rezoning of two plots of agricultural land in Balik Pulau to residential use, which was said to benefit the plots’ owner Magnificent Emblem.

He faces a second charge over his purchase of a bungalow on Jalan Pinhorn for RM2.8 million, which was allegedly below the market price of RM4.27 million on July 28, last year from businesswoman Phang Li Koon.

The motion targeting the chief minister was proposed by opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Air Tawar).

Another BN motion rejected by the speaker was from Muhammad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong). His motion called for civil servants and administrators to go on leave if they were charged with criminal offences.

Law said Farid’s motion was turned down because there were existing regulations for the civil service on such matters.

“We should not debate motions on matters that have already been made clear.”

Law also explained why he rejected two motions by Teh Yee Cheu (DAP-Tanjung Bungah). Teh had again asked the house to debate the proposal to limit the chief minister’s term of service.

“I have given Tanjung Bungah a short cut. I have proposed to him to take this to the Constitution Committee, as the matter has to do be amending the state constitution.” – May 22, 2017.

Later, Farid told reporters that the opposition would seek further explanations on the speaker’s decision.

When asked why the 10 BN reps in the house were wearing a white ribbon, he said: “CAT is dead”. CAT refers to the state’s “competency, accountability, transparency” principles. – May 22, 2017.