Published: Wednesday October 28, 2009 MYT 8:19:00 AM
Updated: Wednesday October 28, 2009 MYT 5:39:22 PM

Perak Assembly: Full Update

By SYLVIA LOOI, CHAN LI LEEN, IVAN LOH and LESTER KONG

news@thestar.com.my

IPOH: The second session of the 12th Perak assembly sitting was possibly one of the shortest in the state’s history as it was adjourned sine die three hours after it started.

The sitting began at 10am minus the presence of Opposition assemblymen with speaker Datuk R. Ganesan reminding the elected representatives to adhere to the rules of the sitting.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir (BN-Pangkor) then proceeded to present his 2010 Budget.

After 15 minutes, shouts were heard from outside of the august House with Opposition representatives demanding that they be let into the hall without being stopped by police.

Moments later, the Opposition led by former mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (PAS-Pasir Panjang) entered the hall followed by ousted speaker V. Sivakumar (DAP-Tronoh).

Seeing this, Ganesan adjourned the sitting for an hour to 11.20am.

After being ushered to their respective seats, A. Sivasubramaniam (DAP-Buntong) took a jibe at Ganesan for allowing heavy police presence in the hall.

He also told Ganesan to vacate his speaker seat to allow Sivakumar to be seated.

Opposition representatives later proceeded to hold their own sitting in the hall by passing three resolutions.

The resolutions were that 1Malaysia camps be suspended following the Kuala Dipang incident, the satisfactory performance of the Perak Pakatan Rakyat state government last year as quoted in the Auditor-General’s report, and the nomination of former Perak PKR chief Osman Abdul Rahman as a senator.

At this juncture, Barisan backbenchers led by Pengkalan Hulu assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali stood up and started to mingle with their political colleagues.

When Ganesan reconvened the sitting to allow Dr Zambry to continue presenting his Budget, the Opposition tried to disrupt him by shouting and jeering.

The voices of backbenchers, who stood up to second the Budget, were drowned by shouts from the Opposition.

The Opposition later left for the assembly library and a their press conference.

The situation outside of the State Secretariat building was equally tense with the heavy presence of police and the Federal Reserve Unit.

A police helicopter was also in the air to monitor Pakatan Rakyat supporters gathered near the state secretariat building.

Barbed wire and barricades were put up 50m away from the building to deter Opposition supporters from going near the building.

Later, Pakatan assemblyman Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Pantai Remis) claimed that a police officer had squeezed his private parts during a scuffle outside the state assembly hall.

”It is tremendously shocking and unthinkable that a policeman can assault the private parts of an assemblyman,” Nga said after lodging a report against the officer, whom he only knew as “Chief Insp Khairul” who claimed to be the officer-in-charge of the Simpang Pulai police station, at the city’s police headquarters here.

Nga told reporters that he and other Pakatan assemblymen were about to enter the august House when police stopped and ordered them to surrender their cameras and other recording devices.

”We refused and while I was talking to the policeman, he tried to push me away.

”I told him not to touch me and it was at the time that he squeezed my private parts,” Nga claimed.

Sivakumar also lodged two separate police reports following Wednesday’s sitting.

The first report was against the police for using excessive force to the extent of allegedly manhandling Pakatan assemblymen as they were entering the state secretariat building.

Sivakumar, when speaking to reporters at a press conference earlier, said that shortly after passing though the main gates of the building, dozens of policemen had crowded around him to get him to give up the Speaker’s official robe and songkok (traditional Malay headgear).

”They held on to me and squeezed my stomach till I could not breathe,” he said, adding that other Pakatan assemblymen who tried to come to his rescue were pushed away and kept at bay by other policemen.

Sivakumar said the robe he was wearing was eventually torn away by the policemen in the process.

”Barisan Nasional Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan claims that I had stolen the robe but I did not. I was merely protecting the robe as a symbol of democracy. I did not return robe because I am the legitimate Speaker.

”At last, the robe was torn and this is what is left of it,” Sivakumar said, waving a strip from the robe he had earlier worn into the state secretariat building.

Sivakumar went on to say that never before had elected representatives been scanned or had their bodies searched before entering the state assembly hall.

”We were made to walk one by one into the hall and were prohibited from bringing any recording devices including mobile phones inside,” he said.

The second police report lodged by Sivakumar was over a circular purportedly issued by him stating that Nizar would be proposing the Budget for 2010 and dissolution of the state assembly at the Heritage Hotel here at 11am on Wednesday.

The sitting, according to the letter, would be attended by Pakatan leaders Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR), Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS) and Lim Kit Siang (DAP).

The letter also said that the Sultan of Perak had consented to meeting Nizar at the Istana Kinta at 3pm the same day, for the latter to to seek the Ruler’s permission to dissolve the state assembly in order to pave the way for fresh elections in the state.

”This is a poison pen letter. I have never seen this letter let alone issued it. I had no idea about it until someone passed me a copy after I had left the hall.

”This looks like my signature but I did not sign or issue the letter,” Sivakumar said.

Below is a blow-by-blow account of what transpired this morning:

1.45pm: Nizar plans to lodge at least three police reports at 3pm today on battery and assault by police under Section 124 of the Criminal Procedure Code including one on the poison pen letter. He also plans to bring to Parliament claims that excessive force were used by police this morning. He will also use blogs and YouTube to tell the rakyat what occurred besides discussing with lawyers possible court action.

1.05pm: Sivakumar tells media that he would lodge police report over poison pen letter purportedly signed by him calling for state assembly sitting today at Heritage Hotel in Ipoh for the tabling of state budget by Nizar and a motion to dissolve state assembly.

He alleges the letter also claimed that the Perak Sultan would grant Nizar an audience to hear a request to dissolve the state assembly to pave way for fresh elections.

Sivakumar reiterated that the letter was a fake and did not originate from him.

1.05pm: Sivakumar alleges that police used excessive force, when they tried to confiscate his Speaker's robe and songkok. Claims he was manhandled when he tried to enter Dewan.

1.00pm: Sivakumar tells a press conference that he is merely "holding on" to the robe because it is a symbol of democracy that he is protecting.

12.55pm: Sitting has been adjourned sine die. State budget passed by sitting.

12.35pm: Barisan assemblyman begin posing oral questions to MB Dr Zambry at assembly sitting. Pakatan reps leave SUK Building. They are heading to DAP headquarters to hold press conference.

12.00pm: Pakatan reps give press conference in the library.

11.45am: Sivakumar adjourns Pakatan "assembly". Pakatan reps begin walking out of sitting. They adjourn to the library. Reporters are barred from leaving the hall to go to the library.

11.30am: Former mentri besar and Pengkalan Hulu assemblyman Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali seconds state Budget presented by Dr Zambry. Pakatan reps interrupt their Barisan counterparts when they speak. Slim assemblyman Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib says Ganesan should take action against Pakatan assemblymen for turning assembly into “circus”. Ganesan announces for Budget to be read a second time.

11.20am: Assembly reconvenes. Pakatan reps are calling for Ganesan to vacate the Speaker's seat.

10.55am: Pakatan reps 'take over' sitting. Sivakumar, Nizar and Ngeh speak. While they were doing so, Barisan reps stood up and walked around.

Outside the SUK building, FRU orders people to stay inside the five-foot walkway of the shops below the DAP headquarters, which is opposite the SUK building.

10.40am: Buntong rep A. Subramaniam stands up and asks Ganesan to vacate his seat. Subramaniam says Bar Council registry shows Ganesan was still a practising lawyer three months after his appointment on May 7.

10.20am: Speaker Ganesan adjourns sitting to 11.20am. Pakatan reps led by Nizar re-enter hall.

10.15am: Dr Zambry gives his Budget speech but Pakatan reps are still not present at the sitting.

Sivakumar came out for less than a minute alleging that the police manhandled him and removed the speaker’s robes he was wearing. He went back in after claiming that several Pakatan assemblymen were also manhandled by police.

FRU instructs media and public to get behind police line 50m away. Eight PAS members led by Ustaz Azli Musa pray outside DAP headquarters located opposite the SUK building.

10.07am: Pakatan assemblymen now re-enter the SUK building. Assembly observes minute of silence for the pupil who was killed in Kampar bridge tragedy.

10.05am: Pakatan representatives walk out of assembly after Sivakumar is asked to remove speaker's robe. They are now speaking to reporters outside the SUK buidling

10.00am: Assembly starts but Pakatan assemblymen not present.

9.52am: Former speaker V. Sivakumar, former mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, Ngeh and state rep Nga Ko Ming are part of the Pakatan assemblymen who enter the SUK building. Sivakumar is wearing his speaker’s robe.

9.50am: Pakatan crowd now directly facing SUK building. Police say only the state assemblymen can pass through last barricade to the building.

9.45am: Pakatan assemblymen and supporters begin march onto Jalan Istana towards the SUK building, shouting, “Hidup, hidup. Hidup Rakyat.” They also put on a show of solidarity in front of press photographers amid claps and cheers. Ngeh talks to police and FRU at one level of barricades on Lorong Istana before being allowed through.

9.27am: Estimated 150 curious onlookers, PAS and DAP supporters gather in front of entrance to DAP headquarters. Police in flourescent yellow vests line Jalan Istana, the road leading to the state secretariat building. Heaviest police presence in front of the gate.

9.05am: Police helicopter takes to the air, seen flying above state secretariat compound.

9.00am: Police stop impromptu press conference by DAP rep Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham. Perak CID chief seen talking to Ngeh and Thomas Su. Ngeh and Su claimed they were blocked from entering the state secretariat building.

8.55am: Police personnel putting up yellow police tape to demark 50m distance from state secretariat building.

8.50am: Pakatan assemblymen begin to arrive at state secretariat building.

8.30am: An estimated 400 police personnel have been stationed in the area. A total of about 20 police and FRU trucks also stationed.

8.00am: Heavy police presence around the area surrounding the Perak state secretariat building (SUK), where the State Assembly sitting is scheduled to begin later Wednesday morning. Police and Federal Reserve Unit trucks with security personnel have gathered at the area.

Barb wires have been placed on the sidewalk between the building and DAP headquarters. Roadblocks have been set up. Only authorised vehicles are being allowed on Jalan Istana which leads to the state secretariat building.

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