“Their contracts have not expired. Why are their services terminated?” said Penang PKR chairman Mansor Othman yesterday, according to Malay Mail Online.

The two assemblymen, both members of PKR, were removed two months after they abstained from voting on an opposition motion in the state assembly to halt land reclamation off Penang island.

“The state government must explain whether their termination was discussed during the state executive council meeting,” Mansor said according to the report, which quoted the New Sunday Times.

PKR whip Ong Chin Wen, assemblyman for Bukit Tengah, was removed from the board of investPenang, the state investment promotion agency, and from Island Golf Properties Bhd, a subsidiary of Penang Development Corporation.

Kebun Bunga assemblyman Cheah Kah Peng was removed from the board of Penang Hill Corporation.

The boards of all three agencies are chaired by the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng.

In a news report yesterday, Lim indicated that the pair had been removed because they did not vote against the state assembly motion, which had been sponsored by an opposition Umno assemblyman.

Malaysiakini reported that he said: “When you lose confidence in a person who agreed with you and then reneged on their agreement, how can they function effectively and professionally, especially when I am chairperson?”

Two other assembly members from PKR also abstained, while one assembyman from DAP voted in favour of the motion, which was filed in the midst of an ongoing public outcry about land reclamation and the pace of property development.

The state government has been accused of carrying out too many land reclamation projects but Lim has repeatedly said that most of the projects were approved by the previous administration.