The office of Perak Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu has advised state executive council member and Tronoh assemblyperson Paul Yong Choo Kiong to carry on with his duties for now.

Yong (photo), who has been charged with rape, filed an application on Nov 13 for his case to be transferred to the High Court.

"In the meantime, Yong has expressed the intention to resume his duties as a state executive council member as he claims that he is innocent until proven guilty," said the office of Ahmad Faizal's office in a statement today.

"Pending decision of the High Court on the said application, Yong owes a duty to his constituency to attend the ongoing State Assembly as well as to answer questions in his role as housing, local government, public transport, non-Muslims affairs and new villages council member," read the statement.

On Nov 15, Yong claimed that he had consulted with Ahmad Faizal to return to work after being pressured into taking leave, pending a trial after he was charged for allegedly raping his 23-year-old Indonesian maid.

Yong's announcement was met with a chorus of disapproval, with an audio recording, purportedly of a senior Perak DAP leader, emerging in which he was slammed for his decision to resume his duties beginning Friday.

The exco's counsel, Rajpal Singh and Leong Cheok Keng, had requested the prosecution to review or withdraw the case, as the chemist report did not show any traces of sperm found on items seized belonging to the accused.

According to the charge sheet by the Ipoh Sessions Court, Yong committed the act in a room at the top floor of his house in Meru Desa Park on July 7, between 8.15pm and 9.15pm.