TV PAKATAN RAKYAT

Perak’s constitutional and political crisis remains no closer to a resolution even after some semblance of order was restored for Raja Nazrin Shah to deliver his royal address. Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin is emphatic in his assertion that the sitting today was null and void. Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, the man appointed mentri besar by Sultan Azlan Shah in the February power grab, has pinned the blame for the fiasco on PR. More legal challenges and political maneuverings can be expected. But both BN and PR lawmakers are likely to agree on one point — the bedlam which the Perak state assembly had descended to today would have done little to restore the damage inflicted upon the different institutions of government in the state.

After a morning of chaos marked by scuffles in the assembly, and the arrests of dozens of PR politicians and activists on the streets outside the state secretariat, a semblance of order was restored to allow Raja Nazrin to deliver his royal address. R Ganesan, the BN man who was made the speaker after the PR appointed V Sivakumar was forcibly removed by plainclothes policemen, then adjourned the sitting sine die. Ganesan was appointed earlier by BN lawmakers who held their own sitting in a corner of the assembly because Sivakumar had refused to vacate his seat. The appointment of Ganesan was presided over by Hee Yit Foong, the deputy speaker and one of the three assemblymen who have become “BN-friendly” independents.

It is almost certain that PR lawmakers will challenge the appointment because Sivakumar had earlier announced his rejection of a motion tabled by Zambry to have him removed. But crucially, the appointment and removal occurred before Raja Nazrin had declared open the sitting. The Perak Regent had earlier entered the chamber at 3pm, five hours late, and spoke to Nizar and the DAP’s Datuk Ngeh Khoo Ham before starting his address. Nizar had requested the police to leave the chamber and later told all PR lawmakers to take their seats. The rival assemblymen had been engaged in a shouting match even as Sivakumar was taken out of the assembly hall. PR assemblymen shouted at the police to leave the House when they moved in.