Umno closes state building to block sitting, lawsuits a red herring for police control.

Sadly, Umno’s misuse of its might as it instigates federal institutions into carrying out its political will - regardless of the law - may cast the entire nation, not just Perak, into further disrepute.

By Wong Choon Mei | March 2, 2009

In a last ditch bid to foil an emergency sitting of the state assembly, the Umno-Barisan Nasional government in Perak has announced that the secretariat building - where the legislative assembly hall is located - will be closed tomorrow.

The coalition is scurrying for all ways and means to prevent BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir from being unseated at the session, slated for 10 am Tuesday. A motion to dissolve the assembly, paving the way for the people to select the leadership of their choice, is also due to be tabled.

“If anyone is involved in tomorrow’s assembly, the government will not compromise with anyone who threatens national security,” Zambry said.

Sadly, Umno’s misuse of its might as it instigates federal institutions into carrying out its political will - regardless of the law - may cast the entire nation, not just Perak, into further disrepute.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders slammed Umno for dirty tactics, accusing it of forcibly removing the keys from the assembly secretary and of bringing ridicule to the state of Perak.

Pakatan Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin warned that any attempt to stop the legislature from sitting tomorrow would be viewed as contempt and the penalty included jail terms.

“The sitting will be held no matter what happens because this is our promise to the people of Perak to bring about the democratic process and return to them the mandate that is rightfully theirs,” Nizar told Suara KeADILan.

“The House operates independently from the state secretariat,” said Sitiawan MP Ngeh Koo Ham.

Lawsuits a red herring for police to take control

BN Perak executive councillor Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid had fired an early salvo this morning, referring legislative Speaker V Sivakumar to the Rights and Privileges Committee.

Additionally, Zambry and other Umno-BN leaders and their lawyers have filed two lawsuits against Sivakumar at the Ipoh High Court, which will hear their cases at 9 am tomorrow.

“Of course, the legal suits will attract attention. But they are actually a red herring. What has happened is the use of the police to inflict the political will of Umno onto the people of Perak,” said a political analyst.

Nevertheless, the lawsuits will still be closely watched both nationally and internationally as they are uncharted moves, directly in contravention of the federal constitution, which clearly separates the powers of the legislative from the executive.

“If Malaysian law can be bent like bamboo, who wants to do business here. Even the prime minister himself has said before, foreign firms want their agreements here to be tried only in overseas courts, not local courts. Perhaps, you understand why now?,” said the analyst.

The first suit was filed by the three Independent assemblymen - formerly Pakatan members who have since declared themselves ‘Umno-BN friendly’. They are challenging the status of their undated resignation letters which Sivakumar had used to declare their seats vacant. The second was filed by Zambry and six executive councillors, challenging their suspension from attending any sittings for the next 12 to 18 months.

Last week, Sivakumar had called for the emergency sitting to vote on two motions - a vote of confidence in Nizar as Menteri Besar and the other to dissolve the assembly.

Umno-BN needs to block the sitting as it could end their power in the state and see the reinstatement of the Pakatan government. Including all suspensions, Pakatan has 28 seats versus Umno-BN’s 21 in the assembly.

Don’t cheat, why fear fresh election?

Nevertheless, Umno-BN - which controls the federal government - has not been shy about abusing the federal apparatus to its advantage.

Already, Perak police have been sucked into the game, with the state police chief declaring the sitting as illegal - a move that is clearly ultra-vires and beyond his authority.

Roadblocks have been erected along the main road leading to the state secretariat. Four Federal Reserve Unit trucks are on standby behind the building.

Meanwhile, PAS vice-president Husam Musa said Umno-BN would do better to seek a dissolution of the assembly rather than resort to unfair means to cling to power.

Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak, the incoming Umno president, and his party should not fear fresh state-wide polls even if they were not confident of winning, he added.

Stressing that there were three options open to Umno, Husam said: “The first is to dissolve the assembly, the second is to detain Pakatan Rakyat leaders involved under the Internal Security Act and the third is to place Perak under a National Operations Council.

“However, I think if Pakatan leaders are detained under the ISA, their profile would be even higher and if the state is placed under a National Operations Council, the government’s image would be tarnished. Dissolution is the only option.”