Nizar sworn in, then ejected from Dewan
(The Edge) KUALA LUMPUR: Newly sworn in Bukit Gantang parliamentarian Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, along with seven other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) members of parliament were ejected from parliament today for refusing to remove headbands that called for the dissolution of the embattled Perak state legislative assembly.
The former menteri besar of Perak was ordered to leave by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia after Nizar shouted "Hidup, hidup, hidup rakyat" and "Bubar, bubar, bubar DUN (dissolve the state legislative assembly)" moments after taking his oath at 10am.
Met later, Nizar said as Bukit Gantang MP, he "had to raise the issue" of the ongoing Perak political crisis.
Recounting the flurry of events that led to his expulsion, Nizar said he took his oath as MP and signed the declaration before seeking permission from the Speaker to "inform other MPs about the dissolution of the Perak assembly".
"I hardly sat in my seat for a few seconds and I was instructed to leave the house," Nizar told a press conference in parliament's lobby.
Among the parliamentarians evicted for refusing to remove headbands calling for the Perak assembly's dissolution were Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (Beruas-DAP), Nga Kor Ming (Taiping-DAP), Datuk Mahfuz Omar (Pokok Sena-PAS), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam-PAS) and Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor-PAS).
Following that, opposition parliamentarians Nurul Izzah Anwar (Pantai Dalam-PKR) and Lim Lip Eng (Segambut-DAP) walked out of the Dewan Rakyat in protest.
During the press conference, parliamentary officers ordered non-MPs, including Perak DAP secretary Chris See, to remove the headband or be ejected from parliament.
Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad then told off the officers: "Jangan main tarik-tarik (Don't simply pull people). This is not your house."
Nizar, who is Pasir Panjang assemblyman, questioned the appropriateness for parliament to convene when the Perak state assembly was "in trouble".
"The state legislative assembly and parliament must be in harmony. It is hypocritical as far as I'm concerned that parliament is in session but the state assembly is in trouble," Nizar said.
Meanwhile, Ngeh, a former senior Perak state executive council (exco) member, said parliament was the only place to "voice the people's voice for the restoration of democratic rights".
"I hope the prime minister will get the message clearly this morning that unless there is restoration of democratic rights to the people, there can be no proper government in Perak," Ngeh said.
PR has been persistently calling for the Perak assembly's dissolution and fresh elections to resolve the Perak political turmoil, which is now in its fifth month.
