Raja Nazrin ends speech, assembly adjourns

UPDATED 4.30pm (The Malaysian Insider)

IPOH, May 7 — After a morning of confusion followed by scuffles, order restored and PR Speaker V. Sivakumar removed and replaced by BN's Datuk R. Ganesan, the Regent of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah finally opened today's sitting of the Perak State Assembly.

Ganesan adjourned the sitting sine die after Raja Nazrin's royal address that touched on the economy, religion and even the swine flu outbreak.

Batu MP Tian Chua was also arrested by police after the assembly ended.

The Perak Regent had earlier entered the chamber at 3pm, five hours late, and spoke to ousted Pakatan Rakyat MB Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin and the DAP's Datuk Ngeh Khoo Ham before starting his address. Nizar had requested the police to leave the chamber and later told all Pakatan lawmakers to take their seat.

BN Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abd Kadir earlier tabled a motion inviting Raja Nasrin to open the sitting of the state assembly.

The rival assemblymen had earlier continued their shouting match even as Sivakumar was taken out of the assembly hall. PR assemblymen shouted at the police to leave the House when they moved in.

Scuffles had broken out prior to this as PR assemblymen tried to get Barisan Nasional-installed speaker Ganesan to leave the House, at one point almost getting him entangled in the microphone wires.

The lawmakers were engaged in a shoving match as Ganesan attempted to take the Speaker’s chair while the Sivakumar refused to vacate his seat.

Sivakumar attempted to reconvene proceedings but the situation descended into pandemonium with lawmakers on the verge of coming to blows.

While both BN and PR still claim to be the legitimate government, there is now also two assembly speakers after Ganesan took his oath as the new Speaker in a corner of the hall following Deputy Speaker Hee Yit Foong’s “removal” of Sivakumar. Earlier, Sivakumar had refused to vacate the Speaker’s seat while Ganesan presided over the sitting of BN assemblymen from his corner.

Sivakumar has also announced that he had written a letter dated yesterday rejecting the tabling of all motions, including one to remove him and to install Ganesan as his replacement.

The PR-appointed Speaker also pointed out that Raja Nazrin Shah had not yet declared open the sitting of the assembly.

At 11.30am, the assembly was “adjourned” for an hour by Ganesan, resulting in a respite to the shambolic proceedings with both BN and PR lawmakers taking their respective places.

This was after Sivakumar had again ordered  Zambry and several other BN lawmakers out of the assembly.

Zambry had also repeatedly tried to table a motion to remove the speaker, which Sivakumar has rejected repeatedly as well.

Sivakumar had refused to convene sitting of the assembly until Zambry and six other BN lawmakers whom he had suspended leave the hall.

With the streets outside turned into what the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang has called a “war zone,” the Perak state assembly convened earlier with Sivakumar asking Zambry and six other lawmakers to leave the hall, turning the assembly into a scene of chaos amid shouting and screaming.

Earlier, all other assemblymen arrived, with PR lawmakers seated at the government benches.

Outside, more than 20 people, including at least eight lawmakers, were arrested and scores others refused entry into the Perak State Secretariat as police locked down Ipoh city ahead of the controversial state assembly meeting.

Traffic was gridlocked as police rolled out barbed wire and mounted road blocks in a 500-metre radius from the building, allowing in only those with special passes and preventing hundreds of protesters clad in black T-shirts from the sitting to be opened by Raja Muda Raja Nazrin Shah.

"This has become a war zone. This is a national and international disgrace. Even when we have received official invites from the speaker, we are refused entry," Lim told reporters outside the restricted zone after his car was stopped from entry.

"It is most shameful and outrageous," the Ipoh Timur MP added. Beside him was Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran who was also not allowed into the complex. Kula's political secretary P. Sugumaran was earlier detained by police for refusing to leave the place.

PKR Wanita chief and Ampang MP Zuraida Kamarudin and DAP's Teratai (Selangor) assemblywoman Jenice Lee, Ayer Keroh's Khoo Poay Tiong (Malacca) and Bahau's Tey Kok Seong (Negri Sembilan) were also among those arrested. They were clad in black T-shirts and wore caps that said “Bubarkan DUN” or “Dissolve the State Assembly”, a key demand by the Pakatan Rakyat government toppled by Barisan Nasional in early February.

The electoral reform group Bersih, comprising opposition parties and some activists, urged Malaysians to wear back today, prompting police to arrest its spokesman Wong Chin Huat two days ago for sedition. The media studies lecturer is expected to be released from police remand tomorrow.

It is learnt that police have seized 200 black T-shirts emblazoned with the words “1BlackMalaysia” from a stall near a Kampung Manjoi surau where PAS supporters had earlier performed subuh or dawn prayers. Police had earlier warned against people gathering or wearing black.

They also shut down the roads around the state secretariat, causing traffic congestion in this normally sleepy capital city. Police said the roads will be reopened later in the day.

Ousted Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and his executive council together with backbenchers, equalling the Barisan Nasional numbers at 28, were taken with police escort to attend the sitting in the 59-seat assembly.

Three other lawmakers are independent after they walked out of Pakatan and precipated the imbroglio.

Sivakumar arrives at the state secretariat at 9.35am and gets a salute from the honour guard as he is escorted by assembly secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri.

He is followed by Zambry who also receives a salute as Sivakumar and Abdullah escort him.

Raja Nazrin Shah arrives at 9.45am and inspects the honour guard. Secretariat officials then allow lawmakers, special guests and journalists into the assembly hall.

Police yesterday set up roadblocks at the Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang Wahab-Jalan St John junction and near the Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman flyover.

They had obtained a court order to prevent illegal gatherings around the state secretariat and traffic police were on hand to divert traffic around the government sector in Ipoh.