Nizar: It's a sham assembly
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng & Andrew OngPublished: May 7, 2009 10:38 AM | Updated: May 7, 2009 1:03 PM
Pakatan Rakyat is maintaining that the Perak state assembly did not convene today and Barisan Nasional's actions in the state assembly hall were "illegal and unconstitutional".
Pakatan Rakyat is maintaining that the Perak state assembly did not convene today and Barisan Nasional's actions in the state assembly hall were "illegal and unconstitutional".
This was despite Pakatan participating in the assembly ‘proceedings' which saw the Perak Regent Raja Nazrin Shah reading the royal address before the sitting was adjourned.
Speaking to reporters after BN-appointed speaker R Ganesan adjourned the sitting, Nizar slammed the police and BN 'samseng' (thugs) for interfering with the proceedings.
He also lashed out at the BN and its cohorts for forcefully removing speaker V Sivakumar and physically hurting a number of Pakatan state representatives.
"Their actions were evil and violated the sanctity of the house," he said, while being flanked by his assemblypersons and speaker Sivakumar.
Stressing his point further, Nizar said that BN had also switched off Sivakumar's microphone.
"Even the speaker's rights have been robbed (by BN)," he said.
Hints from the Perak Regent?
Nizar also explained what had transpired when Raja Nazrin called upon him and ousted senior exco member Ngeh Khoo Ham for a quick discussion at the Regent's seat at the assembly.
After the short discussion, Nizar had ordered all Pakatan state representatives to take their seats, as they were standing in protest of Sivakumar's forcible removal from the house.
"I was ordered by tuanku. Tuanku wanted the cooperation of Pakatan Rakyat.
"So we give him an opportunity to present his speech. Nothing more than that... the dewan (assembly) never convened," he said.
Nizar said that acceding to the Regent's request did not mean that Pakatan recognised that the assembly sitting took place.
Asked if Raja Nazrin's royal address gave the assembly sitting legitimacy, Nizar said that it was an "opening speech" and not an "officiating speech", and refused to elaborate.
Nizar also responded to allegations by BN Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir that Pakatan started using force by trying to chase Ganesan out of the house.
He said that Ganesan was illegally appointed as a speaker and it was thus incumbent upon the Pakatan state representatives to maintain the sanctity of the House by removing him.
Civil servants revolt
Meanwhile, Sivakumar lamented that the state legal advisor and the sergeant-at-arms refused to follow his orders and frustrating his attempts to convene a proper sitting.
"My microphone was disabled. Isn't that insulting the House and the speaker? What then is their purpose?" he asked.
He added that the sergeant-at-arms was however very willing to enforce Ganesan's order to remove the ousted speaker and Pakatan state representatives from the House.
He maintained that he had rejected all motions tabled by BN yesterday and every motion 'passed' by BN today was illegal.
BN today passed four motions - the eviction of Sivakumar as speaker, appointment of Ganesan as the new speaker, that the March 'tree assembly' was illegal and the appointments to three state assembly committees.
On his removal from the House, Sivakumar said that police had detained him in a room for about one and a half hour before the assembly was adjourned sine die (indefinitely).
Malaysiakini's LIVE report of the assembly
This was despite Pakatan participating in the assembly ‘proceedings' which saw the Perak Regent Raja Nazrin Shah reading the royal address before the sitting was adjourned.
Speaking to reporters after BN-appointed speaker R Ganesan adjourned the sitting, Nizar slammed the police and BN 'samseng' (thugs) for interfering with the proceedings.He also lashed out at the BN and its cohorts for forcefully removing speaker V Sivakumar and physically hurting a number of Pakatan state representatives.
"Their actions were evil and violated the sanctity of the house," he said, while being flanked by his assemblypersons and speaker Sivakumar.
Stressing his point further, Nizar said that BN had also switched off Sivakumar's microphone.
"Even the speaker's rights have been robbed (by BN)," he said.
Hints from the Perak Regent?
Nizar also explained what had transpired when Raja Nazrin called upon him and ousted senior exco member Ngeh Khoo Ham for a quick discussion at the Regent's seat at the assembly.
After the short discussion, Nizar had ordered all Pakatan state representatives to take their seats, as they were standing in protest of Sivakumar's forcible removal from the house.
"I was ordered by tuanku. Tuanku wanted the cooperation of Pakatan Rakyat."So we give him an opportunity to present his speech. Nothing more than that... the dewan (assembly) never convened," he said.
Nizar said that acceding to the Regent's request did not mean that Pakatan recognised that the assembly sitting took place.
Asked if Raja Nazrin's royal address gave the assembly sitting legitimacy, Nizar said that it was an "opening speech" and not an "officiating speech", and refused to elaborate.
Nizar also responded to allegations by BN Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir that Pakatan started using force by trying to chase Ganesan out of the house.
He said that Ganesan was illegally appointed as a speaker and it was thus incumbent upon the Pakatan state representatives to maintain the sanctity of the House by removing him.
Civil servants revolt
Meanwhile, Sivakumar lamented that the state legal advisor and the sergeant-at-arms refused to follow his orders and frustrating his attempts to convene a proper sitting.
"My microphone was disabled. Isn't that insulting the House and the speaker? What then is their purpose?" he asked.He added that the sergeant-at-arms was however very willing to enforce Ganesan's order to remove the ousted speaker and Pakatan state representatives from the House.
He maintained that he had rejected all motions tabled by BN yesterday and every motion 'passed' by BN today was illegal.
BN today passed four motions - the eviction of Sivakumar as speaker, appointment of Ganesan as the new speaker, that the March 'tree assembly' was illegal and the appointments to three state assembly committees.
On his removal from the House, Sivakumar said that police had detained him in a room for about one and a half hour before the assembly was adjourned sine die (indefinitely).
Malaysiakini's LIVE report of the assembly
View Comments0