Harassment every inch of the way at Perak sitting
Written by Kim Quek, CPI
After the nonsensical assembly sitting in Perak on Oct 28, Barisan Nasional should deeply reflect whether it is worthwhile to prolong its farcical rule in the Silver State.
To say the least, the session was a complete washout.
First, police control and intervention inside and outside the assembly was so heavy and so overpowering that it has completely destroyed the image of our legislature as an independent institution and the highest in our system of government.
Second, the slipshod manner with which BN’s budget motion was rushed through makes us wonder whether the budget was legally approved.
Let us start with the budget approval.
Barisan Nasional Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir started his budget speech at 11.20am, and 30 minutes later, he had not only completed his speech, but had moved his budget motion through three readings. Each one was approved by the BN assemblymen present, with vocal protests from Pakatan assemblymen.
There was no debate and no one seemed to have heard any detailed figures – if figures were read out, these were not carried in many newspapers the next day. Pakatan assemblymen walked out immediately after the third reading was passed.
A budget proposal is a statement of revenue and expenditure as well as major policies that encompass the entire government which is made up of many departments.
So, it is normally a lengthy speech, followed by debates that take place during each of the first, second and third readings. It is hence a real marvel how the assembly could have compressed such elaborate process of proposal, deliberation and decision in all the three stages in a short half hour.
Through such shotgun approval, the voices of the people who speak through their representatives are muted. Isn’t this a mockery of our democratic process and betrayal of the trust of the people?
Can we then call the budget legally approved? On top of that is the questionable legality of R. Ganesan’s position as speaker.
