JOHOR BARU: The fourth session of the Johor state assembly meeting has been postponed for the second time after a Covid-19 positive case was recorded at the august House.

       The meeting, which supposed to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday (Aug 24 and 25), has been push forward to Sept 6 and Sept 7 instead.

       State Speaker Suhaizan Kaiat 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 done, the Johor Health Department recommended that the meeting be postponed following the latest developments on Covid-19 during the meeting.

       “All assemblymen have been informed of the postponement because we do not want to take any risk,” he said when contacted here on Monday (Aug 23) night.

       It is learnt that one of the staff at the Johor state assembly tested positive for Covid-19.

       On Sunday (Aug 22), four assemblymen have been barred from the state assembly due to Covid-19 health concerns.

       Tenggaroh assemblyman K. Raven Kumar of MIC tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, while Tangkak’s Ee Chin Li (DAP) was identified through contact tracing.

       The other two assemblymen are Johor Lama’s Rosleli Jahari (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) and Senai’s Tee Boon Tsong (DAP).

       Tee showed symptoms as he was coughing while Rosleli tested positive through a RTK test at Bangunan Sultan Ismail but the latter tested negative during a second test at Hospital Sultanah Aminah.

       The fourth session of the Johor state assembly, which was officiated by Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar on Aug 12, had to be postpone to Sunday (Aug 22) to review the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for Covid-19.

       Among the measures included having a travel bubble for all 56 assemblymen and making compulsory to all attending the meeting including members of the media to underwent daily RTK tests before the meeting starts.