IPOH, 27 July 2009: Embattled Perak state assembly speaker V Sivakumar still wants to meet and seek clarification from Barisan Nasional (BN)-installed speaker Datuk R Ganesan through the rights and privileges committee to resolve two issues following the 7 May 2009 state assembly sitting.
Sivakumar, who still considers himself speaker, fixed the meeting for 10am on Thursday in the chambers of the state assembly speaker after being stopped from having the meeting today.
He said he had earlier sent a notice for Ganesan to attend the meeting according to the state assembly standing orders.
“I, and several state assembly[persons], including one committee member appointed by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government itself, that is Tebing Tinggi state assembly[person] Ong Boon Piow, were not allowed to enter the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building for the meeting.
“We were stopped by police although we had sent a notice to inform [them] of our presence to have a rights and privileges committee meeting,” Sivakumar told reporters after “chairing” the meeting at a hotel today.
Sivakumar said the meeting had to be held to discuss his removal as speaker during the 7 May sitting which he said was done via a “sub-assembly” in the assembly which he considered unlawful. Sivakumar also wanted to discuss Ganesan’s actions in directing police to enter the assembly to remove him.
Earlier, Sivakumar and several Pakatan Rakyat members, including Perak DAP chairperson Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, created a scene when trying to enter the state secretariat building to convene the meeting.
The group waited for an hour before dispersing after getting an official letter from the state secretary, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim, which stated that the meeting could not be held as his side had not received any notice of the matter. — Bernama
