Perak state assembly secretary suspended

IPOH, 2 March 2009: Perak state assembly Speaker V Sivakumar today announced that he was suspending the assembly’s secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri with immediate effect.

Sivakumar also declared that the emergency sitting of the assembly, scheduled for tomorrow, would go ahead as planned.

Speaking at a press conference at his law office here, Sivakumar said the secretary was suspended because of his failure to carry out his duties professionally.

“Further to Abdullah (Antong)’s suspension, I have appointed Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki as the assembly’s secretary,” Sivakumar said.

Mohd Misbahul is the political secretary to embattled Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

Abdullah yesterday issued a statement that Sivakumar’s decision in calling for an emergency sitting of the assembly was illegal as it did not get the consent of Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak.

On Friday, Sivakumar had issued a statement that he was calling an emergency sitting of the assembly to discuss two motions he received related to the constitutional impasse in Perak.

The first motion is to reaffirm support for Nizar as the rightful menteri besar. The second is to seek for dissolution of the state assembly and pave the way for fresh polls.

In today’s press conference, Sivakumar also asked the police to give their full cooperation to the state assemblypersons to attend tomorrow’s emergency sitting.

The police have already mobilised the Federal Reserve Unit to prevent any illegal gathering at the state secretariat building here where the state assembly is housed.  

All PR reps will attend

Perak DAP chairperson, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, said all the 28 assemblypersons from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will go to the state assembly at 10am tomorrow to attend the emergency sitting.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government which was sworn in by Sultan Azlan Shah early last month also has 28 assemblypersons.

But newly-appointed Menteri Besar, Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, and his six executive councillors (excos) have been suspended by Sivakumar.

Three independent assemblypersons have indicated their support for the BN.

But upon leaving the PR to become independents, the three were considered by PR to be resigned as elected representatives because of their signed and undated resignation letters. The matter is, however, pending in court.

PM cannot comprehend

In JAKARTA, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Sivakumar was deliberately taking controversial actions.

Abdullah said he could not comprehend why Sivakumar could not wait for the court to decide on the matters before it concerning the Perak state assembly.

Earlier today, Dr Zambry and his six excos filed an application in the Ipoh High Court to nullify Sivakumar’s act of suspending them for 18 and 12 months respectively.

“I don’t understand why anyone should resort to doing something that is causing controversy. There’re so many other problems that we have.

“He (Sivakumar) should wait until the court makes a decision on this. That’s the best thing to do. Have some patience,” the premier said when answering questions on the matter at his press conference with the Malaysian media here today.

Abdullah said Sivakumar’s suspension of Zambry and the six exco, who were lawfully appointed by the Perak Sultan, and his calling for an emergency sitting were not right. — Bernama