Mohammad Agus Yusoff, political analyst with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, has argued that Perak speaker V Sivakumar had the power to ban lawmakers from the state assembly.

dr mohammad agus yusoff"The speaker's post is very powerful," he told AFP today, warning that the affair posed a grave risk as Malaysia attempts to bolster the faltering economy.

"There is a serious constitutional crisis in Perak state. This could lead to a wider political crisis and create economic instability at a time of a global recession," he said.

Sivakumar's move to suspend seven BN representatives from the state assembly has caused an uproar, triggering a debate among constitutional lawyers over whether he acted within his powers.

"It's like a comedy because it is so ridiculous. The speaker took it upon himself to become a judge when he has no jurisdiction at all," Mohamed Nazi Abdul Aziz, the minister in charge of legal issues, told the New Straits Times.

In the sudden turn of events, the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance used a parliamentary manoeuvre to suspend the new leadership, plunging the state into another crisis.

Bolstered by a series of by-election victories in recent months, the opposition has been pushing for new elections in Perak.

But BN, still wounded after unprecedented losses in general elections a year ago when it lost Perak to the opposition, is intent on avoiding another electoral battle.

Snap polls to end stalemate

Sivakumar, the Pakatan speaker in the Perak assembly, which has not convened since the row erupted, used his wide-ranging powers to suspend the new state leader and his cabinet.

"They failed to offer any explanation on their actions of contempt for the House and hence have been found guilty as charged," Sivakumar said in a statement.

The opposition has since called for a snap election to end the impasse in Perak, which BN seized earlier this month with the help of four defectors who upset the delicate balance of power.

Following the defections, Perak's sultan ordered Pakatan to quit its leadership of the state assembly, and swore in a new leadership, but ousted mentri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin insists he is still in power.