Don’t repeat Perak ‘travesty’ in Selangor, former minister warns

By admin-s On Aug 15, 2014

(MMO) – Statutory declarations in Malaysia can be made and unmade

A vote of no-confidence must be called in the Selangor state assembly to remove doubt over who — Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim or Datuk Wan Dr Azizah Wan Ismail — commands the confidence of its lawmakers, according to a former minister.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said that while Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was able to secure signed declarations by 30 Selangor assemblymen yesterday to demonstrate the majority’s support in calling for Khalid’s exit, it was “unacceptable” to rely on the route laid down by the 2009 Perak crisis to resolve the current Selangor quandary.

“Well, those in favour Wan Azizah have apparently signed statutory declarations attesting to their support for her.

“However, statutory declarations in Malaysia can be made and unmade — and no less than a top lawyer for the prime minister was involved in one case,” the former de facto law minister wrote on his blog.

Although Zaid did not specifically identify the case, a now-deceased private investigator had controversially made two statutory declarations in quick succession that were related to the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The first made on July 1, 2008 alleged of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s involvement in the case, while a second made the day after retracted the contents of the previous legal document.

According to Zaid, demonstrating the confidence of the assembly to the state ruler outside the House may be valid — following the “travesty of Parliamentary practice” set by the “bad precedent” of the 2009 Perak crisis — but doing so would invite public suspicion due to a lack of transparency.

“The removal of a mentri besar required nothing other than an open vote in the Assembly, as has always been the practice in Westminster (system),” he added.

“This will demonstrate clearly and democratically that the mentri besar no longer has majority support. Any other manner of removing a sitting mentri besar this must be rejected as undemocratic.”