Perak in Battle Royale Tuesday
“In other words, once the first motion to reaffirm support to Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak Mentri Besar is passed, the second motion would be to ask the state assembly to commission Nizar to have an audience with Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah, seeking dissolution of the state assembly.”
By BOB TEOH/ MySinchew
Both benches of the Perak State Assembly is heading for a showdown finally after weeks of uncertainty following the controversial unseating of Mentri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin by Umno’s Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir who was subsequently appointed as the new MB by Sultan Azlan Shah.
The state assembly is now hung with both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat both having exactly 28 legislators each, while the remaining three have resigned from PK to become independent members. But they have said they would support the BN. Thus the Barisan is barely hanging on for dear life by the skin of their teeth.
However, assembly speaker V. Sivakumar has declared that the three are not longer sitting assemblymen as they had signed undated letters vacating their posts. Meanwhile, he has also suspended the MB and six other exco members after referring them to the privileges committee which he chairs. The BN is not letting the speaker getting away with this no doubt.
According to former state executive council member Nga Kor Ming, the game plan is to call for an emergency session of the assembly to reinstate the former MB Nizar Jamaluddin and call for a dissolution of the assembly.
Speaker V. Sivakumar has called for an emergency sitting Tuesday (3 Mar). However, in a last minute bid, the management of the Perak State Secretariat building in Ipoh which house the state assembly, has just a notice to seal off the whole building Tuesday in an unsigned notice bearing the state emblem.
In an interview with Sin Chew Daily Sunday (1 Mar) Nga outlined his plans. “If the emergency state assembly scheduled on 3 March passes the two motions, royal assent is still a must to dissolve Perak State Assembly,” he said.
“In other words, once the first motion to reaffirm support to Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak Mentri Besar is passed, the second motion would be to ask the state assembly to commission Nizar to have an audience with Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah, seeking dissolution of the state assembly,” he explained.
Nga said the Sultan still holds the power to dissolve the state assembly. Thus, the state assembly can only be officially dissolved with a royal assent. Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) must hold an election within 60 days. Pakatan Rakyat would not interfere in the EC's decision on the date.
He said that once the support Nizar motion is passed during the emergency state assembly, BN will have to declare its fall from power and only Pakatan Rakyat will be the legitimate state government. And the power can be returned to the people after the royal assent is granted.
Now his nemesis looks like having thrown a spanner into the works by sealing off the state secretariat.
Even before this Nga called on said in order to prevent someone from making trouble on that day, the Speaker has called the Perak Police Chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah on Friday (27 Feb), asking him to send police officers guard outside the state assembly hall on 3 March, in order to maintain order and to protect the speaker, as well as state assemblypersons.
Now the problem is that Nga and his men probably can’t even get into the state assembly building Tusday. What now for Perak? Watch this space.
