Pakatan Rakyat - Opposition leaders decry court’s ruling

PETALING JAYA: Opposition party leaders have expressed disappointment over the Federal Court’s unanimous decision to declare Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as Perak’s rightful Mentri Besar.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng urged Barisan Nasional to dissolve the Perak state assembly and hold fresh elections.

Lim, who is Penang Chief Minister, said Barisan has to restore democracy and the constitutional right of the people to determine their government.

“Any government that does not have any directly elected mandate violates the democratic principle of people’s power,” he said in a statement yesterday.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who was also at the press conference at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya yesterday, described the unanimous decision as shameful.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Pakatan Rakyat would continue its political battle to wrest Perak from the Barisan despite the Federal Court’s ruling.

He said PKR regarded the decision as a black mark in the history of the country’s judiciary.

“It definitely will not break Pakatan’s spirit in its efforts to ensure its victory in Perak in the next general election,” he said.

The party’s political bureau chief Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said the court has decided that the principles of constitutional law, parliamentary democracy and justice were subservient to political wishes.

“It means that the Malay Rulers now have an absolute power over the Chief Executive of the State.

“The Sultan now not only has the power to refuse the appointment of anyone proposed by the government of the day as the Mentri Besar that he disapproves of, he also has the power to dismiss the said Mentri Besar if he so wishes,” he said.

He said it seemed that the constitutional requirement that a constitutional head only acted on the advice of the Mentri Besar or the Prime Minister was now no longer applicable.

PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat called on the people to reject the Federal Court decision.

He said in Kota Baru that it was not wrong for the people to reject the decision because people have recently demonstrated their displeasure over a High Court decision.

He said it was not wrong to demonstrate against the decision as it was part of democracy.

Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham claimed that if fresh elections were not called, the rights of 54% of the people of Perak whom he claimed supported Pakatan, would be denied.

Perak takeover hasty, says Mahathir

Former PM TDMM says BN had acted hastily in taking over the Perak government and that Rulers cannot dismiss an elected head of government.

But he refused to say whether Zamry's appointment was legal or not because "the matter is best decided by the court".

That's exactly what I have been saying that Nizar is the Perak MB. To me, he is still the MB.

Perak Assembly adjourned after chaotic & acrid meeting

4:08pm: The Perak Assembly has adjourned after a tumultuous meeting that led to ugly shouting matches and the ejection of Speaker V. Sivakumar, who was carried out physically by policemen. Despite the difficult situation, Perak Regent Raja Dr Nazrin Shah delivered his royal address but did not touch on the state's political flux nor the verbal brawls in the House.
The Regent instead focused on praising both the State and Federal Governments for ensuring growth and prosperity in Perak.

Earlier, commotion reigned at the Perak state assembly sitting after Sivakumar refused to start proceedings for as long as Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, the six Barisan Nasional (BN) executive councillors and three Independent assemblymen were in the House.

Immediately after taking his seat at about 10am, Sivakumar ordered the 10 assemblymen to leave the hall on the basis that they had been suspended.

The commotion that ensued left the Regent waiting in the holding Royal Room, for the official opening of the assembly session. Zambry and the other nine assemblymen, however, ignored Sivakumar's order.
Former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammed Nizar Jamaluddin and his former Exco members remained seated at the seats allocated for the Menteri Besar and exco members, while Zambry and the new exco members were seated on the opposition side.

Zambry then stood and proposed a motion to sack Sivakumar as Speaker, with the 27 BN assemblymen and three Independents raising their hands in support. But Sivakumar rejected the motion and explained that Zambry could not table the motion as he had been suspended from the assembly.

This caused the assemblymen on both sides of the political divide to hurl insults at each other.

Zambry then proposed the motion again, supported by the BN and Independent assemblymen. In response, Sivakumar ordered the House sergeant-at-arms to remove the 10 assemblymen but Zambry said that Sivakumar had been expelled.

At 10.48am, Deputy Speaker Hee Yit Fong then took over to preside over the assembly sitting from the opposition seat.

Zambry then proposed that former Sungkai assemblyman Datuk R. Ganesan be appointed as the new Speaker and the BN assemblymen and Independents supported the motion.

The commotion continued with Sivakumar still occupying the speaker's chair. With both parties claiming theirs is the rightful speaker, the taunting and booing continue and at one point, they almost got physical.

Sivakumar's voice, however, could not be heard clearly as his microphone has been turned off. The new speaker, Datuk R. Ganesan adjourned the session for an hour with Sivakumar claiming it was null and void.