IPOH, April 18 — Perak Speaker V. Sivakumar has suspended the legislature’s secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri for issing a notice to convene the state assembly on May 7 without his knowledge.
But it remains unclear if the suspension will have any effect on the notice to call the assembly just six days before a constitutional deadline to do so.
The Barisan Nasional moved closer yesterday to consolidating its control over Perak when a sitting of the state assembly was called for May 7.
The notice was sent out just a day after the BN Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six executive councillors won a Federal Court decision to lift their suspension from the assembly imposed earlier by Sivakumar.
In a controversial decision which appeared to ignore the principle of separation of powers and a constitutional provision which declares that the validity of any proceedings in legislatures shall not be challenged in court, the Federal Court paved the way for the seven BN men to return to the state assembly.
Their presence is necessary as BN and Pakatan Rakyat have the same number of lawmakers in the assembly, but three former PR assemblymen are now BN-friendly independents.
Sivakumar said today he will seek an audience with Perak’s Sultan Azlan Shah to clarify if the palace had granted permission for the assembly to be convened.
If the assembly is not convened by May 13 it will be automatically dissolved and fresh elections will have to be called.
BN is trying to head off such an eventuality by convening the assembly before that day.
If the sitting is held, BN can rectify the flaw in its plan to take over the state by calling for a vote of confidence in its administration and in Zambry.
The absence of a confidence vote in the House is a point used by critics of the power grab to say that the BN state government lacks legitimacy.
It also gave rise to the question of whether Zambry or Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin is the rightful mentri besar, a matter that is still pending in the Kuala Lumpur High Court with a decision expected on May 5.
MI
18/04/09
But it remains unclear if the suspension will have any effect on the notice to call the assembly just six days before a constitutional deadline to do so.
The Barisan Nasional moved closer yesterday to consolidating its control over Perak when a sitting of the state assembly was called for May 7.
The notice was sent out just a day after the BN Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six executive councillors won a Federal Court decision to lift their suspension from the assembly imposed earlier by Sivakumar.
In a controversial decision which appeared to ignore the principle of separation of powers and a constitutional provision which declares that the validity of any proceedings in legislatures shall not be challenged in court, the Federal Court paved the way for the seven BN men to return to the state assembly.
Their presence is necessary as BN and Pakatan Rakyat have the same number of lawmakers in the assembly, but three former PR assemblymen are now BN-friendly independents.
Sivakumar said today he will seek an audience with Perak’s Sultan Azlan Shah to clarify if the palace had granted permission for the assembly to be convened.
If the assembly is not convened by May 13 it will be automatically dissolved and fresh elections will have to be called.
BN is trying to head off such an eventuality by convening the assembly before that day.
If the sitting is held, BN can rectify the flaw in its plan to take over the state by calling for a vote of confidence in its administration and in Zambry.
The absence of a confidence vote in the House is a point used by critics of the power grab to say that the BN state government lacks legitimacy.
It also gave rise to the question of whether Zambry or Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin is the rightful mentri besar, a matter that is still pending in the Kuala Lumpur High Court with a decision expected on May 5.
MI
18/04/09
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