Perak speaker seeks special sitting

IPOH: State assembly speaker V. Sivakumar wrote to Sultan Azlan Shah last week to seek the ruler's consent to summon a special sitting of the assembly.

Former menteri besar Da- tuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said Pakatan Rakyat would table a motion of confidence in itself at the sitting.

He said another motion would be filed, stating that Barisan Nasional did not command the support of the majority of state assemblymen and, thus, could not form the state government.

He said yesterday that the motion of confidence was to prove that the coalition was the legitimate state government of the day.

"A motion in that respect will be tabled at the next state assembly sitting and we will prove that the Pakatan Rakyat menteri besar has the confidence of the majority to govern the state," he told a press conference before moving out of the official residence of the menteri besar.
Nizar said the second motion would be moved against Barisan Nasional to prove that the latter could not claim to be the legitimate state government as its majority in the assembly had been reduced to 21 compared with Pakatan's 28 seats.

"The BN majority must be tested and this will now be done in the state assembly.

"We will show the people whether (menteri besar) Datuk (Dr) Zambry (Abdul Kadir) has the support of the majority," he said, adding that any state assemblyman could move the motions.

Nizar anticipated chaos at the next sitting of the state assembly.

"I foresee turmoil and chaotic decisions, especially at the beginning of the assembly because the three frogs (referring to state assemblymen Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu and Hee Yit Foong who quit PR) have been suspended besides Zambry and the state executive councillors.

"Pakatan now has 28 seats and BN has only 21. So we now have the majority. And, they (BN) are worried about that. So we can expect some chaos and turmoil."

Asked to comment on public perception that Sivakumar's decision to suspend Zambry and his exco was biased and in favour of Pakatan, he said the decision was based on sound judgment and in accordance with rules and regulations.

"If he (Sivakumar) feels satisfied that his is the correct decision, then nobody can question or challenge his decision.

"He was not acting on the basis of bias or as the state assemblyman for Tronoh.

"Obviously, he will act on behalf of truth, be fair and just. The perception that the speaker is biased is merely a perception."

ACADEMY AWARDS The winners' list

Complete list of winners at the 81st annual Academy Awards

— Motion Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

— Actor: Sean Penn, “Milk.”

— Actress: Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”
— Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight.”

— Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

— Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

— Foreign Film: “Departures,” Japan.

— Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

— Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, “Milk.”

— Animated Feature Film: “WALL-E.”

— Art Direction: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

— Cinematography: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

— Sound Mixing: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

— Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight.”

— Original Score: “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman.

— Original Song: “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar.

— Costume: “The Duchess.”

— Documentary Feature: “Man on Wire.”

— Documentary (short subject): “Smile Pinki.”

— Film Editing: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

— Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

— Animated Short Film: “La Maison en Petits Cubes.”

— Live Action Short Film: “Spielzeugland (Toyland).”

— Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

Kelantan DAP wants Pasir Mas MP to quit

Kelantan DAP has supported the call by Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat that Pasir Mas member of parliament(MP) Datuk Ibrahim Ali resign so that a by-election can be held.

Its pro-tem committee secretary, Sew Kok Beng, said this was in line with the voters' wish that the constituency be represented by a credible leader.

"Ibrahim should resign as Pasir Mas MP because he won on a PAS ticket," he said when commenting on a suggestion by the PAS spiritual leader that voters in Pasir Mas should be given the chance to pick a new leader.

He said Ibrahim should respect PAS for giving him the chance to contest the seat which he won to become an independent MP.

Ibrahim had also made statements detrimental to the opposition who were trying to strengthen cooperation and resolve the many political problems.
The former Pasir Mas Umno division chief had been reported as saying that he would have to wait another five years to contest if he was to vacate the Pasir Mas seat.

Meanwhile, Kelantan Umno said it was willing to accept Ibrahim if he wanted to return to the party.

Information chief Datuk Alwi Che Ahmad said it was up to the independent MP whether he wanted to be with Barisan Nasional (BN) or not.

"We have to ask him (Ibrahim) first. If he wants to join (Umno), then he must apply. He never left Umno but was sacked. We will accept anybody," he told reporters when met outside the State Assembly here today.

Alwi, who is also Kelantan opposition leader, said PAS wanted Ibrahim to quit as MP because he has become a vocal critic of PAS.

Ibrahim, 57, was sacked from Umno for contesting the Pasir Mas seat as an independent during the 2004 general election.

Najib shuts the door on Labu LCCT

EPUTY Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday quashed any possibility of reviving the proposed low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in Labu, Negri Sembilan. "We have decided. The project in Labu cannot continue because Sime Darby will not cover the infrastructure cost. They will only sell the land to the party developing the LCCT," he told the Malaysian media here.

Najib, who is also finance minister, said the infrastructure cost related to the proposed LCCT in Labu would amount to RM800 million.

"I received confirmation from Sime Darby. If they are not contributing (towards the infrastructure cost), then there is no basis for the project to be considered."

Najib said the new LCCT would be built at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang.
He said AirAsia's requirements for the new LCCT, such as parking charges, were being negotiated.

It was reported last week that the proposal for the Labu LCCT was still under discussion.

A Bernama report quoted Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat as saying in a written reply in Parliament that a final decision had not been made on whether to proceed with or scrap the proposal to build the terminal.

The report said a comprehensive study was being done to ensure that the project was feasible and would benefit the people.

Ong also reportedly said AirAsia Bhd would have to bear the cost of building the new LCCT as well as take on the connectivity costs, such as constructing roads and rail tracks and other infrastructure.

Nizar moves out of MB's residence

IPOH: After the fanfare of the last 17 days, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin moved out of the menteri besar's official residence in Jalan Raja DiHilir yesterday.

He, his wife Datin Seri Fatimah Taat and their seven children moved to a newly-rented bungalow in Sungai Rokam, about 3km from the official residence, at 11.45am.

As they drove out, about 100 members of Pas' Unit Amal shouted Takbir and Allahu Akbar.

Earlier, Nizar said his departure from the official residence was not a sign that he had been defeated by Barisan Nasional, adding that he did so because he respected the law.

"I have not conceded defeat and I urge bloggers and reporters to tell the people that I will come back to the residence once again as the people's menteri besar. My plea to all of you is to tell the world truthfully what had happened since Feb 1," he said, referring to the day when speaker V. Sivakumar declared the state seats of Behrang and Changkat Jering vacant.
He said he would hand over the keys to the official residence to State Secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Hashim on Feb 27, adding that Pakatan Rakyat would continue to hold meetings at offices of state Pakatan partners.

Reporters and photographers who had followed Nizar to his new home were not allowed to enter the premises.

The official residence had been crowded with hundreds of PR supporters after BN took over the Perak government on Feb 6.

Nizar and PR leaders turned the official residence into an operations centre, where meetings and ceramah were held regularly to chart out survival strategies.

Pakatan plotting to topple BN in Perak

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat, still sore at being ousted as the government, is scheming to bring down the new Barisan Nasional state government.

A Perak DAP assemblyman revealed that the state Pakatan Rakyat leadership met yesterday -- hours after the speaker's suspension of the new menteri besar and his six executive councillors -- to plan the next course of action.

He said Pakatan planned to table a vote of no-confidence against Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir when the assembly reconvened in April.

Speaking to the New Straits Times on condition of anonymity, he said at press time, the state opposition leaders were still at the meeting to plan the best time to strike against the BN government.

He said the leaders were contemplating calling for a special state assembly session as early as next month to boot the BN state government out.
"No dates have been confirmed but we may call for a special assembly in the middle of Umno party elections," he said.

Umno will have its general assembly from March 24 to 28.



If the suspension of Zambry and his six executive councillors is not challenged in court and overruled, Pakatan will end up having more votes than BN should a vote of no-confidence be called against Zambry.

Both Pakatan and BN have 28 members each but with seven of them suspended, the ruling coalition will be four votes short even if the three independents vote against any motion tabled by the opposition.

Suspension of MB, Exco can't be legally challenged: Bar Council

The decision by Perak assembly speaker V. Sivakumar to suspend the menteri besar and his six executive councillors as assemblymen cannot be challenged in court, the Malaysian Bar Council said today.

Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said: “Regardless of whether the correct procedure was followed by the speaker and the Committee of Special Privileges, under Article 72 of the Federal Constitution their conduct and the validity of the their proceedings may nevertheless be outside the jurisdiction of the courts.”

She said the doctrine of separation of powers means the judiciary could not interfere in the workings of Parliament or the state legislative assemblies.

Ambiga said in a faxed statement to the media that this also means that there should be no Executive influence in the workings of Parliament and state legislative assemblies.

“We say this as it has been reported that there are attempts to lodge police reports against the speaker of the Perak state assembly, which would violate these provisions,” said Ambiga.
Ambiga said wrestling over the constitutional and legal issues would not solve the political problem in Perak.

“Going back to the people of Perak will. We urge the parties involved to seriously consider doing so, not only in the interest of the people of Perak but also in the interest of stability and the nation as a whole,” she said.

Toppled crane on Penang Bridge causes ugly snarl

A crane used for the Penang Bridge widening project toppled over near the mid-span of the bridge this morning causing a massive traffic jam which infuriated thousands of motorists. The traffic chaos along the Jelutong Expressway on the island and Bayan Lepas coastal Road, which started from the morning rush hour, only cleared about noon.

A Penang Bridge spokesman said the 30-tonne hydraulic crane, which was being used on the third lane of the bridge, toppled over at KM3.6 of the mainland bound lane about 3.15am.

The accident is said to have happened after a cable connected to the crane became entangled with a bridge pile structure as it was being used to lift a demolished parapet.

Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Azam Abdul Hamid said traffic police tried to disperse traffic on the bridge by diverting mainland bound motorists to the opposite lane. The contra flow was activated at 9.35am to ease congestion.

The partial closure of the bridge caused a traffic jam over a radius of 10 kilometres causing motorists to jam up the ferry terminals to cross the channel.
Road users were caught in a bumper-to-bumper situation on various parts of the island, and also on the mainland, particularly along Jalan Chain Ferry and Jalan Bagan Luar.

Nur Astikah Ismail, a civil servant was late for work from Butterworth to Komtar due to the massive traffic gridlock. "I was stuck in the jam at the ferry terminal from 7am and only reached office at 11am," she said.

The mainland bound traffic on the bridge was later closed temporarily to facilitate the removal of the crane.

Traffic flow returned to normal after the crane was removed around noon.

In a statement, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) said main contractor UEM Construction Sdn Bhd (UEMC) had required two units of cranes to lift the toppled crane, but one of the cranes broke down before it reached the scene, resulting in the delay while they waited for the backup crane to arrive.

It also said all necessary action was taken to manage the traffic congestion, including continuous traffic updates via the main radio stations, while Variable Message Signs (VMS) and the Online Traffic Information Management (OTIM) alert were posted to users to notify them of the traffic updates.

Meanwhile, the state government expressed its outrage over the inefficiency of the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), PBSB and UEMC to clear the toppled crane in the shortest possible time.

State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said many factory employees and businessmen were caught in the massive jam. He was also one of those affected.

"We are very dissatisfied and angry over the attitude of those concerned who did not do the necessary clean-up work in the shortest possible time.

"They had about three-and-a-half hours before the peak hour started, and yet they could not clear the mess in time," Lim said, adding that they took eight hours to clear it.

"There could have been a lack of coordination among the three, resulting in the delay. What the state government can do now is basically state our stand to the Works Ministry, and ask them to take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening again," he said.

To a suggestion that more ferries be added to the current six in full operation, Lim said this was not possible as, in order to get the seventh ferry up and running, about 100 crew members would have to be recruited.

"These range from captains to the traffic controllers right down to the engine runner. The ferry operators cannot do this as they are running up tens of millions of ringgit in losses every year," he said.

PKR assemblyman - Elizabeth Wong scandal

A prominent Malaysian opposition legislator resigned Tuesday after photographs of her sleeping naked were circulated to the public by cell phone, an embarrassing disclosure that she slammed as a plot to discredit her party.

The People's Justice Party, however, told 37-year-old Elizabeth Wong to go on extended leave, and said it will decide later whether to accept her resignation from the central Selangor state assembly.

It is the latest incident in Malaysian politics to intrude into the private lives of politicians, most of whom have been opposition figures. Among them was People's Justice Party leader Anwar Ibrahim who has been accused of sodomy twice. The government has denied a role in the scandals, including Wong's pictures.

In an emotional news conference, Wong, a well-known human rights activist, did not deny that the pictures in question were of her.

She said it was "an insidious and underhanded attempt" to smear her reputation, adding that "the real objective is to discredit the party."

"I have done nothing wrong. I wish to state that I am not ashamed of my sexuality as a woman and as a single person. I have broken no law," she said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"In the interest of my party I have decided to offer my resignation," said Wong.

News reports say the photos were believed to have been taken by her ex-boyfriend without her knowledge in her home last year.

She filed a police complaint Sunday after being informed that a newspaper had received the photographs from unidentified sources.

Wong did not blame the governing National Front coalition directly for her embarrassment, but leaders in her party charged it was politically motivated.

"We asked her to rethink her options. I am angry. I am personally disgusted with this kind of gutter politics" by the National Front, party chief Anwar told reporters.

Simultaneous by-elections on April 7

The Election Commission today announced that the by-elections for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak and the Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah will be held simultaneously on April 7.

-Nomination on March 29
-Nine-day campaign period

MB pay in malaysia

i didn't know the Exco are well paid, memories of PM paid was like less then 10k..

from malaysiakini..
Jumlah tersebut termasuk gaji bulanan RM15,000, elauan percutian (RM20,000), sebuah kereta berserta pemandu, elaun bayaran bil bulanan (RM1,000), elaun pakaian bulanan (RM3,500) dan lesen untuk memiliki senjatapi....

elaun pakaian bulanan Rm3500, so all the exco need to wear all the brand jacket like ck, amarni etc..and all the rakyat can only wear t-shirt some even don't have the t-shirt.

Group: Karpal should be banned

This matter is really making certain quarters sick and definitely Karpal is feeling the same. After all the hooliganism from UMNOputras and their gangs towards Karpal, now we have another group from Kedah with a different proposal.

I wonder why it’s being made to look like a big deal on what Karpal had mentioned earlier and he has called upon the Sultan to speak up based on facts and the law if Sultans can be prosecuted in the court of law. There are many royal families around the world who are governed by the law of the land and they have to abide by that and I think even Obama doesn’t stand a chance to have such privilege even though he is the President of the US.

Hats off to Karpal as he stands firm with his principles and there are many leaders out there behaving like clowns and the worst thing is that we have a bunch of supporters who tend to support their cheap talk without even considering the facts and figures. As per Bernama’s report yesterday, survey showed that the Sultan didn’t act on the interest of the Rakyat and that’s what Karpal is talking about all these while.