Penang opposition leader suspended for six months from state assembly

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Opposition Leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim (BN-Penaga) was suspended Thursday for six months from the State Legislative Assembly, the second time in just over two years.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who tabled the motion for suspension, said the Rights and Privileges Committee had decided on the suspension after Azhar failed to explain his statement of May 8 that the assembly verbatim record could be manipulated, which the committee felt had tarnished the dignity of the assembly, Speaker Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain and staff of the assembly.