Perak Assembly’s ‘emergency session’ uncivilised, says Azalina

“It is also an insult to the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. It’s like resorting to the law of the jungle,” she said in a statement to Bernama, here,today.

Azalina said there had never been a time in the country’s history when a state assembly sitting was convened under a tree.

The session today clearly showed that the DAP-Pas-Parti Keadilan Rakyat coalition had no respect for the legislative assembly as a noble institution, she said.

“They have shown their true colours, and willing to do anything to stay in power,” she said.

Perak State Legislative Assembly Speaker V Sivakumar and 27 other assemblymen convened the session under a tree after they were barred from entering the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building, which houses the state legislative assembly, because the sitting did not have the consent of the Sultan of Perak.

The 10.20am session “approved” three motions including affirming the speaker’s decision to suspend Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six state executive councillors from the state assembly.

They also approved motions to express support to Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the menteri besar and to dissolve the state assembly to pave the way for a fresh election.

In Melaka, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam also said that the emergency session was “an insult to the democratic system and a total disregard to the federal and state constitutions.”

He said the session was a political gimmick as the speaker was in no position to call for a state legislative assembly sitting after the Barisan Nasional took over the state administration on Feb 6.

“The people of Perak should not panic with the opposition’s strategy. Datuk Zambry is the legitimate Perak menteri besar and he and his six executive councillors can continue to discharge their duties,” he added.

Meanwhile the Malaysian Youth Council (MYC) said the session under a tree laid bare the true colours of the opposition leaders and those of their supporters.

MYC secretary-general Tajudin Ahmad hoped that the people of Perak would not be easily influenced by groups out to create disturbance in the state.

Cheras Umno division chief Senator Datuk Wira Syed Ali AlHabshee said the action had marred the institution of the state legislative assembly.

“In presiding over the emergency session, the speaker ignored the role of the Sultan of Perak who is the pillar to the dignity of the state legislative assembly,” he said in a statement.

He also said that the opposition pact was just putting up a show as if they were still the government.