The Perak state assembly’s special privileges committee today suspended the state’s newly-minted menteri besar Zambry Abdul Kadir and all his six executive councillors.
MCPX

The decision was announced by Perak state assembly speaker V Sivakumar after the committee’s inquiry proceeding in Ipoh this afternoon.

bn perak state exco 180209Zambry was slapped with an 18-month suspension while the excos have been suspended for 12 months.

The latest development plunges Perak into another crisis following BN’s seizure of the state government two weeks ago.

Sivakumar, a DAP state assemblyperson, is still the Perak speaker as the BN government has yet to convene the state assembly to replace him with one of their own.

In a statement to the media, Sivakumar said the decision was reached because the seven had failed to provide an explanation for their contempt of the state assembly by declaring themselves menteri besar and excos.

“I have decided to bar Datuk Zambry with immediate effect from attending any assembly session for the next 18 months and the six exco members have also been barred for 12 months,” read the four-paragraph statement.

The inquiry was convened after Wong Kah Woh (DAP-Canning) had last Thursday made an official complaint.

The numbers tilt again
By suspending seven of the BN’s 28 state assemblypersons, the numbers have again tilted back to the former Pakatan Rakyat government.

Should the state assembly be reconvened now, it is almost certain that the seven suspended representatives would not be allowed into the assembly, allowing Pakatan to have an edge of 28 seats against BN’s 24.

slim majority in perak update 040209The suspension means that while BN can technically continue to rule, it cannot convene a meeting of a state assembly for fear that Pakatan would move a vote of no confidence against the government.

Should that be passed, then the assembly could be dissolved paving the way for a state-wide snap elections.

Contacted later, prominent lawyer Benjamin Dawson said the current situation is a result of the unresolved political turmoil in the state.

By convention, he said Malaysians will have to wait for the court decision on the suit filed by Pakatan Rakyat’s ousted menteri besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin challenging Zambry’s appointment.

He said unless the court rules in Nizar’s favour, Zambry is presumed to be menteri besar.

“There is no question of him (Zambry) not being given access to the legislature (state legislative assembly). It is a matter of debate,” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

“This is not a constitutional crisis but it involves the tactical aspect in politics. Nizar has sought to declare Zambry’s appointment unlawful under Article 16 of the Perak constitution and there is basis.”

According to Dawson, the best option to unlock the current stalemate would be to dissolve the state assembly and hold a fresh state election.

But this, he added, must have the sultan’s consent.

Respect people’s will and power
However, Transparency International Malaysia chairperson Ramon Navaratnam said this is “certainly a constitutional crisis” and seemed to be a plan to bring back the opposition to power.

ramon navaratnam interview 071108 05″This is why all these irregularities and contradictory decisions underscore the importance of a democracy which is to respect the will and power of the people.

“Power comes from the people and leaders should be elected and dismissed by the people. All decisions on the constitutionality of any government should rely on the people,” he told Malaysiakini.

Ramon said when the crisis started early this month, the right and proper way was to call for fresh elections.

“A full scale election should be held to show that democracy is at work. Government and legislature must be held accountable for its action. People have the sovereign right to exercise their democratic right in this scenario,” he added.

MACC report filed against defectors

In a related development, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been urged to investigate the Perak state assembly deputy speaker and two former state executive councillors for allegedly receiving kickbacks to leave their parties.

The exit of the four had led to the collapse of the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

The MACC report was filed by the Perak Pakatan Rakyat Supporters Club chairperson Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah.

He urged the MACC to probe deputy speaker Hee Yit Fong of DAP and Jamaluddin Md Radzi and Osman Jailu both of PKR, claiming that they had received money to support BN.

The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) is appalled that private, sexually intimate photos of Elizabeth Wong, Assemblyperson for Bukit Lanjan, Selangor, was taken and circulated without her consent.

JAG is very concerned to note that politics is being practised in an increasingly violent, sensationalised and sexualised manner. We note that in recent months, we have seen the sex tape scandal of Chua Soi Lek, Molotov cocktails being thrown at the house of Teresa Kok and now these photos of Elizabeth Wong being circulated.

These photos are being released at a time when the tussle for power between Barisan National (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is increasingly intense. Under no circumstance should anyone sink to this low level of politicking.

JAG cannot help but note that Ms Wong is also victimised as a single woman, as highlighted in the media. Such tactics meant to deliberately cast moral aspersions and indirectly question her ability to carry out her duties as a politician and as a leader deserve no less than our utmost condemnation.

JAG demands that the police forthwith investigates the matter, and bring the culprit or culprits to court. We also hope to hear strong statements from both the BN and PR condemning the circulation of sexually intimate photos and videos as a means of practising politics. This underhanded tactic must not be part of the political culture of this nation.

Maria Chin Abdullah

Executive Director

Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)

No. 13, Lorong 4/48E

Seksyen 4, 46050 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 03 7748 4977

Fax: 03 7748 4978

Email: empower05@gmail.com

Website: www.empowermalaysia.org

for and on behalf of the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality:

All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)

Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)

Sisters In Islam (SIS)

Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)

Women’s Centre for Change, Penang (WCC)

Penyerahan seperti yang dianjurkan oleh Tunku (catatan dalam blog beliau di akhir tulisan ini) akan bererti kelemahan dalam memperjuangan kebenaran dan keadilan.

Itulah bezanya MB Nizar dan Tunku.   Adakah Tunku ingat Nizar berkehendakkan kedudukan MB itu seperti mana hasrat pemimpin Umno-BN.   Adakah wajar seseorang wira seperti Nizar menyerah tunduk saja kerana kebejatan kuasa yang ditunjuk oleh Umno-BN?

Jiwa pejuang MB Nizar terlalu amat jauh bezanya dengan jiwa Tunku yang hanya menulis huruf-huruf di atas kertas dari kerusi empuknya berbanding Nizar yang berada dalam gelanggang dan bergelut mempertahankan hak dan kuasa rakyat.

Rakyat Perak mahukan Nizar dan seluruh pimpinan dan penggerak Pakatan Rakyat, khususnya di negeri Perak untuk “Lawan Tetap Lawan”  till the last breath.

Ajakan Tunku mencemar perjuangan yang luhur…ia bukan sesuatu yang menjitukan jiwa dan hati pejuang…ia wajar dicampak jauh dari lubuk pemikiran dan perasaan.   Para penegak kebenaran dan keadilan…kita ada kuasa yang lebih besar dari sekelian kuasa di dunia dan alam semesta ini bersama kita, jika kita benar dan luhur.   Adakah rakyat ketika ini percaya bahawa a good line-up yang disebut oleh Tunku itu akan memberi segala apa yang mereka ada untuk rakyat di bawah telunjuk Umno-BN?   Apakah belum lagi jelas apa itu Umno-BN yang sarat dengan nilai yang korup pada Tunku?   Bilakah agaknya kepandiran yang disengajakan ini akan berakhir?

Sekarang ini, Rakyat hendakkan Nizar menjadi MB dan juga Ahli Parlimen!

Semoga di tingkatkan Allah segala kekurangan kita dalam menghadapi krisis ketuanan di negeri Perak.

tunku : i hope nizar will accept the reality that he’s no longer the mb for perak.let it be nizar.now you can try your luck as an mp and try to win the bukit gantang seat. as for the nex executive council members, give your 100% to the state and the people.it is a good line up and we hope that may be an outsider be appointed as the speaker of the house.nizar should hand over officially to zambry the mb post, be a wise leader.

Muhammad Nizar Jamaluddin masih kekal sebagai Menteri Besar Perak kerana belum lagi meletakkan jawatan beliau.

Amatlah penting pertahanan rakyat di kediaman rasmi Menteri Besar  dikekalkan sepanjang waktu ini.

Mohon rakyat segera memperjuangkan hak rakyat dengan berada beramai-ramai di kediaman rasmi Menteri Besar.

Speaker Dun Perak juga telah memfailkan di mahkamah pagi tadi usul dengan bukti surat perletakkan jawatan tiga Adun Perak -  Behrang, Cangkat Jering, dan Jelapang.   Dengan itu, tidak timbul isu bahawa BN mempunyai majoriti dalam Dun Perak ataupakatan Rakyat kehilangan majoriti Dun Perak.

Di saat ini, PR=28 kerusi    BN=28 kerusi  dan bebas=3 kerusi

Tuanku dan ramai yang terlibat dalam kemelut politik Perak ini mengetahui dan amat arif tentang keperluan undang-undang dengan begitu teliti sekali.   kemelut itu harus ditangani dengan bijak dan teliti juga agar tidak di sumpah oleh rakyat jelata.

Undang-undang pembubaran Dun dan peralihan kuasa juga adalah jelas.

Umno tidak perlu bersikap seperti perampas kuasa yang tidak pernah terdidik atau dididik oleh dunia dan agama; mengepung pejabat dan bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri dan menghalang MB Nizar serta kakitangan lain untuk memasuki pejabat, tanpa peraturan dan prosedur dan dokumen-dokumen rasmi.

Begitu angkuhnya Umno sehingga mengarah Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri menghambur kata-kata kepada MB Nizar bahawa kini beliaulah (Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri) yang berkuasa.

Ketika ini kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat masih terus berada di kediaman rasmi MB Perak.   Rakyat akan bersama-sama mereka malam ini.   Kerana lokasi asal, Stadium Perak telah dikunci oleh mereka yang di bawah telunjuk Umno.

Krisis politik Perak belum tentu bila berakhirnya.

Pertahankan Kuasa Rakyat

Defend People’s Power捍卫人民力量

Untuk merampas kuasa pentadbiran negeri Perak

daripada Pakatan Rakyat, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Najib Razak telah menunjukkan taringnya sekali lagi.

Taktik kotor yang digunakan oleh Najib Razak kali ini sebelum sampai ke pucuk pimpinan negara ini pada Mac nanti adalah ulangan:

Duit Submarine Hilang Duit Helipcopter Hilang

Altantuya Hilang Dr Osman Hilang Inspektor Bala Hilang

ADUN Perak Hilang

HRH Sultan Azlan Shah, Constitutional Monarchy, Rule of Law and Good Governance: Selected Essays and Speeches,

Thomson Sweet & Maxwell Asia, 2004:

“Under normal circumstances, it is taken for granted that the Yang diPertuan Agong would not withhold his consent to a request for the dissolution of Parliament. His role is purely formal.”

Translasi:

“Dalam keadaan normal, pada kebiasaannya Yang diPertuan Agong tidak akan mempunyai halangan dalam persetujuan Baginda terhadap permintaan ke atas pembubaran Parlimen. Peranan Baginda adalah bersifat formal semata-matanya.”

Mari rakyat bangkit dan bersatu Pertahankan Kuasa Rakyat

daripada terus HILANG dalam tangan Najib Razak.

Biar rakyat yang menentukan.

Mohon Tuanku Bubar Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak.

Kembalikan Kuasa Rakyat. Ampun Tuanku.

By: Ramjit

IPOH, Feb 4 (Bernama) — Perak Menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said today he was confident that the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, would make a fair and just decision to resolve the state’s political crisis.

“I have no doubt that the decision will be fair to all… to the people and to the political parties,” he told reporters at the state Pas headquarters here tonight where he attended the party’s emergency meeting.

Mohammad Nizar, who had an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah to seek his consent after announcing the dissolution of the state legislative assembly early today, told reporters that the Sultan of Perak did not convey any decision whether he would grant consent.

“He said that he needed time to look into the matter. I will abide and accept whatever the decision,” he said.

He said the audience went well and that he had briefed the Sultan on the latest political development and also conveyed his request for the consent.

Mohammad Nizar said that since the Sultan of Perak had not made any decisions, “I will continue to run the state’s administration together with other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) assemblymen.”

“I will be working as usual,” he said, adding that it was better to hold a snap election to resolve the political impasse once and for all.

Should the Sultan decide not to grant consent, he said, the PR government could still function as a caretaker government.

“This government is valid and would function as a minority government… just like in Canada and India,” he said.

On Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement that the Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) now had the simple majority to form the new state government, Mohammad Nizar said, he found the matter difficult to believe.

He said that the three Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen — Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang), Mohd Osman Jailu (Changkat Jering) and Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang) — had not submitted any official statements on their decisions to become Independent assemblymen.

On Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim’s decision to rejoin Umno, Mohammad Nizar said Nasaruddin might have been forced to quit Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the party he defected to just over a week ago.

Najib said BN now had the number to take over the Perak state government following the move by the four PR assemblymen to leave their respective parties and express support to the BN.

Following the latest development, BN and PR now have 28 seats each.

However the three Independent assemblymen have expressed support towards the BN, including on the appointment of a new menteri besar from the national coalition.

– BERNAMA

Seeks Mandate From People, Says Nik Aziz

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By: Ramjit

–>

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 (Bernama) — PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the political quagmire in Perak should be resolved through a snap state election.

He said the people should be given the opportunity to decide which party should be given the mandate to rule the state.

“I will be happy if an election is held…I support the dissolution of the state legislative assembly,” he told reporters in Kota Baharu when asked to comment on the political development in Perak.

Barisan Nasional (BN) has claimed control over Perak as three Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen have left the coalition and become Independents and pledged their support for BN. Another assemblyman has also defected back to BN.

Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Menteri Besar, said a snap election would be the best solution to end the impasse.

“Definitely a snap election is better that defections. I do not understand the need to jump from one party to another.

“If you want to get the majority by enticing others to jump ship, there is no point of having elections,” he said.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat information chief Tian Chua said according to the laws, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was still Perak Menteri Besar.

“The Prime Minister said BN could form the state government but the government is a minority government and is weak. It is not a stable government.

“Morally a new election should be held to get a fresh mandate from the people,” he said when contacted.

– BERNAMA