WHAT was 7 May in Perak about? For the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), it was the last stand in the face of might that left them with little option but to go down holding their ground.
For the Barisan Nasional (BN), it fulfilled the goal of ejecting Speaker V Sivakumar and replacing him with someone friendly, even though the legitimacy of this move is now the subject of debate. The BN believes it has scored on another point: averting a dissolution of the state assembly by having held a sitting within six months since the previous sitting in November 2008.
For the people of Perak, the sitting today solves nothing, and the last three months of having their state in a constitutional crisis does not look set to end anytime soon. Appeals are certain to be filed after the Kuala Lumpur High Court decides on the rightful menteri besar on 11 May. Legal action is also likely to arise from the events that took place during the sitting — events that were, to be sure, unprecedented.
Instead of elected representatives seated in their places, legislators were scattered all over the floor, shouting, heckling and shoving one another. Police entered the hallowed chambers and bodily carted out Sivakumar still dressed in his speaker’s robes. Political and legal arguments aside, decorum was broken, and all dignity lost. 
monkeys says
To those in the House, go pick up skills from Mas Selamat, learn from him how to get things done in a big way without making such a big fuss.
Sunny says
Looking at the behaviour of the DAP reps, I’m surprised that they always accuse other parties of having links with the underworld when their own actions are similar to that of the gangster Taiwan legislators.
animah says
These pictures speak a thousand words. I can’t believe it has come to this. That our country is ruled by sheer intimidation and force.
Thanks for the photos, Nut Graph.
kip says
Don’t worry … live another day to fight the battle. We haven’t lost, democracy will prevail. Just wait … GE 13 is not far … I can promise you that the punishment for this circus act will be meted out in the next three years.
For the PR assemblypersons, you did righteously to protect Siva. Those who don’t understand about fighting tooth and nail are listless. Under such circumstances of all parties overwhelming them, it is called a defensive stance. Kudos to these heroes.
And shame on you PDRM for interfering with the state assembly affairs.
SueC4 says
Silly action done by PR. Be cool and just wait till Monday.
Tommy says
Sunny, what do you do when a group of people comes into your house and takes over your house by manhandling your family members, physically removing them from your house? You just stand there and watch?
terri says
Sunny, what do you have to say about BN using every possible state apparatus to bully PR politicians? Are you Zambry-friendly?
Eric says
@Sunny,
Please substantiate your accusations against DAP reps, unless you are simply defaming. What did they do “when their own actions are similar to that of the gangster Taiwan legislators”?
The Special Branch and PRDM entered the assembly and forcefully removed the DUN’s Speaker. This is the main of many abuses here (sub judice, partiality of civil service: PRDM, SB, SUK Perak, etc.).
Eric says
A few comments here:
– from the pics, it is very obvious the seating started after Nazrin’s address. So the new speaker is illegal. Likewise, no vote of no-confidence was performed so, pending judgment on subject matter, Nizar is still the only official MB.
– how a suspended DUN secretary, Abdullah Antong Sabri, can call for a meeting against the Speaker’s instruction when only the latter can still beats me.
– how civil servants: Abdul Rahman Hashim SUK Perak chief, suspended DUN secretary, PRDM, FRU and SB can blatantly support political parties beats me even more. The game with the mics, the contempt of speaker’s instruction by SUK staff and the incursion of Police in the DUN just shows how power-crazy BN is.
Rule of law and separation of power died yesterday.
lizzie says
Such injustice, such shameless display of brute force and disregard for rule of law. Still, their ‘fist’ seems mighty now, and the ‘perceived’ ‘oneness’ of the judiciary, MACC, PDRM and civil service with the government of the day, there seems nothing much ordinary people like us can do. But as the wise saying goes, for a gentleman to avenge himself, a wait of 10 years is not too long away. True, we only need to wait no more than 4 years … we shall be patient because we are not rogues.