KOTA KINABALU: Assemblymen and state legislative assembly officials must provide their Covid-19 swab test results and proof of being fully vaccinated three days before the Sabah assembly sitting.

       State Speaker Datuk Kadzim Yahya said these are the requirements and part of the standard operating procedure (SOP) to prepare for the three-day sitting starting Aug 24.

       “All state representatives and those involved in the sitting must present their Covid-19 test results to us three days prior to the sitting,” he said.

       He added the state assembly sitting is an annual conference aimed at improving state and Parliament initiatives as well as procedures.

       Kadzim said the sitting could not be held last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

       “This year, some of the main issues which are expected to be debated and discussed are finding a uniformed procedure to hold similar sittings and conferences amid the pandemic,” he said.

       Among other issues that Sabah will bring are ways to improve and increase telecommunication connectivity in the state.

       “Our telecommunication connectivity is quite weak and thus does not allow the state assembly sitting to be conducted on a hybrid basis,” Kadzim said.