ZUBAIDAH ABU BAKAR: All eyes on Sultan Azlan Shah, again
The ousted Pakatan Rakyat Perak government got what it set out to achieve yesterday — to hold, at least in as far as it was concerned, an emergency state assembly sitting and pass a motion calling for a dissolution of the assembly to pave the way for fresh state elections.
By Zubaidah Abu Bakar, The Malaysian Insider
But the political and constitutional impasse that followed the Barisan Nasional takeover of the state government is far from over.
The Ipoh High Court, about seven hours later, declared the sitting of the Perak state assembly illegal.
"There was no royal consent, so the meeting under the tree, remains just a meeting under the tree," said Datuk Hafarizam Harun, Umno's legal adviser who is part of the legal team representing Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Yesterday's sitting under the shade of a tree, which could be likened to a panchayat or village court proceedings in India of the olden days, also passed a vote of confidence in Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin as menteri besar and endorsed Sivakumar's suspension of Zambry and his executive councillors.
It was all over in about 15 minutes, witnessed by an emotional crowd of Pakatan Rakyat supporters who constantly had to be hushed and reminded that they were at an assembly sitting because their calls for setuju (aye) and comments made each time a motion was passed were loud and boisterous.
That the motions were passed was to be expected as with 10 representatives on the BN side out, the numbers in the 59-seat state assembly were in Pakatan Rakyat's favour at 27 to 21. Sivakumar, as normal regulations go, cannot vote at an assembly that needs a quorum of 16.
At his home, Zambry, who stayed away from his office at the State Secretariat building, described the sitting — presided over by Sivakumar in his ceremonial black robe and songkok with all 27 Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen standing in front of him — as an attempt by Pakatan Rakyat to cling to power through influencing the court of public opinion.
Whatever their arguments were in relation to the emergency sitting, what took place under the tree in no way unravelled a situation heavily mired in conflict and controversy nor did it immediately solve the impasse.
It is, in fact, the latest in a series of planned steps by the Pakatan Rakyat to hand the matter back to the Perak ruler in the hope of forcing a snap state election.
Nizar is now attempting to seek an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah to ask for the dissolution of the assembly, possibly as early as today, and Malaysians can expect a knottier legal tangle — of more police reports being lodged and legal suits being filed by both parties, all questioning the legitimacy of the other's actions and pontificating on the rightful government of the former silver mining state.
Amid all the drama since becoming menteri besar on Feb 6, Zambry has adopted a "patient and passion" attitude in handling the challenges and pressures that are mounting each day.
"It's business as usual for me. I don't want to be distracted or dance to their tune lest the state administration is challenged and people start to question the validity of my appointment as menteri besar," he said before leaving for Kuala Lumpur to attend a meeting of Umno management committee and Perak Umno liaison committee members.
Zambry's concerns are to reduce tension and to focus on the economic agenda of the state.
And again, the focus is back on the sultan.
