Ganesan: I called in police when situation became chaotic

(The Star) IPOH: Perak Assembly Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan says he had no choice but to summon the police into the House at the height of the ruckus during the May 7 sitting.

In a statement, Ganesan said the situation had become chaotic and unruly, especially when his predecessor V. Sivakumar refused to leave the Speaker’s seat for four hours.

This, he said, was despite the House sacking Sivakumar earlier in the morning through a motion passed by a majority achieved by the 28 Barisan Nasional assemblymen and three independent representatives.

Ganesan said that he, as the Speaker, exercised his powers and asked Sivakumar, who is also the Tronoh assemblyman, to return to his seat.

“I gave two warnings and he still refused to move. I then invoked Order 44(2) of the Standing Orders, asking him to leave the Dewan for the day, but he still refused to go,” he said.

“I ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to execute my order. But Opposition members started pushing and attacking. The House had become chaotic and unruly.

“It was going beyond control so I had to call the police to assist the Sergeant-at-Arms to carry out my orders to take him Sivakumar out of the Dewan,” said Ganesan.

He stressed that he was the rightful Speaker, as the House had rightfully and legally voted him in according to the Perak state constitution and the Standing Orders.

On the suit filed against him by Sivakumar, Ganesan said he would face it but added that he had yet to be served with the documents.