Pakatan to give tree protection

(NST) – PAKATAN Rakyat plans to arrange for extra security for the most famous tree in Ipoh.

The rain tree, under which opposition lawmakers held the infamous open air assembly recently, will be monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the adjacent DAP headquarters.

Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) said the tree would be monitored to prevent it from being vandalised.

He told a press conference at the Parliament lobby that he was disappointed by Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia's rejection of his motion to debate the "crisis" in Perak.

The motion, submitted by Nga last Wednesday, was to debate the alleged violation of power by the state secretary and the police who had prevented Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers from entering the state legislative assembly on March 3.

Pandikar rejected the motion on grounds that the issue was now before the courts.

Nga said Pandikar Amin's decision gave the indication that the state secretary and the police had acted correctly.

"If the state secretary can simply lock the state assembly building, it is an embarrassment to the state assembly and a danger to the sanctity of the legislative institution and the doctrine of the separation of powers."

He said he would continue to defend the integrity and sanctity of the state assembly to prevent a recurrence of the incident.