(Nov 25): PKR considers the matter of its five Penang assemblymen who abstained during a vote on a motion brought by Barisan Nasional in the state legislature as "case closed".

At a specially called press conference today at the Opposition's Parliament office in the presence of the five, MPs and assemblymen coordinating bureau chairman Datuk Johari Abdul said the party was supportive of the five voting according to conscience as it involved the people's interest.

"We respect the differences of opinion as it is a party of healthy democracy and this should be promoted.

"And it must be stressed that there needs to be separation of powers between the legislators and executive," he added.

The five – Ong Chin Wen (Bukit Tengah), Cheah Kah Peng (Kebun Bunga), Lee Khai Loon (Machang Bubuk), Dr T. Jayabalan (Batu Uban) and Dr Norlela Ariffin (Penanti) – had abstained from voting on a motion to oppose new land reclamation projects in Penang pending a thorough study on the environment.

Johari also said that the second part of the motion was over new reclamation projects and did not involve projects approved by the state government.

"We say this in Parliament every time that we should go beyond party lines on clear-cut issues that involve the interest of the people, such as 1MDB and the goods and services tax.

"This has nothing to do with politics, it is about taking people's interest to heart on the issue of the environment,” he added.

He also stressed that the issue of siding with Umno did not arise, and that the five were firmly behind the state government.

PKR vice-president Shamsul Iskandar suggested that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the state exco take a magnanimous approach and meet with the PKR and DAP assemblymen over the issue.

He also said that the five abstaining from the vote in this case was a precedent in the practice of parliamentary democracy.

The motion moved by BN assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad was to compel the state government to subject land reclamation projects to public hearings. – The Malaysian Insider