Sivakumar: It was a conspiracy
Written by Surin Murugiah & Chua Sue-Ann, The Edge
Ousted Perak Speaker V Sivakumar claims it was a pre-planned conspiracy that involved the Barisan Nasional (BN), the Perak state secretary, the civil service and the police to remove him.
He said there was enough indication that at the outset the state secretary was not being neutral in the manner he exercised his duties.
He also said the sergeant-at-arms, who did not take instructions from him as Speaker to remove Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and nine others, was quick to listen to Datuk R Ganesan, the speaker installed by BN, to eject him.
"(Under assembly rules) sergeant-at-arms reports to whom? Furthermore, why was my microphone switched off? Who instructed it?" he said to reporters at a packed press conference at the DAP headquarters here today.
"If this is not a conspiracy, what do you call it?"
Sivakumar said under Standing Order 2 of the House, the speaker is the only person who could determine seating arrangements.
"Yet when I instructed the state legal adviser to take a particular seat, he refused. This is serious and I want him to answer," he said.
Sivakumar said the decision to suspend Zambry and six others was made by the Rights and Privileges Committee, and was endorsed by the assembly of March 3.
"We maintain the assembly under the tree is valid as we were prevented from entering the building, and most lawyers agree with us."
"If they do not recognise the March 3 assembly, why bring a motion to invalidate the March 3 assembly in the first place?"
He said by tabling the motion, BN had recognised the assembly and as such, decisions made by the assembly of March 3 were valid.
"That means the seven suspended members and the three who resigned cannot enter the assembly," he said.
Sivakumar also asserted that he was still the rightful speaker, and had the right to reject the motions tabled by Zambry to remove him, as the suspended Zambry cannot table the motion.
He said after he was ejected forcibly from his seat, he was locked in a room for an hour in the presence of police officers.
He also claimed that many unauthorised people, including police officers were inside the state assembly.
"Under Standing Order 83, the speaker may invite anyone but the state secretary refused entry to the eight Perak MPs that I had invited."
"Yet, how come there were hundreds of policemen there?" he said.
He also said it was only the speaker who was empowered to allow or disallow the media, but the state secretary had also assumed this role.
"The civil service must be neutral, but all actions in recent days show otherwise," he said.
