TV PAKATAN RAKYAT

In an extraordinary day that was part wrestling match, part democratic process, Malaysia’s governing party appeared to retake control of a major state legislature yesterday when a group of unidentified men dragged the assembly speaker out of the hall and escorted the governing party’s choice to the empty seat. The bare-knuckled proceedings, in the state of Perak, underlined the continued deep and bitter divisions between the country’s embattled governing party and a resurgent opposition. But they also showed the limits imposed by technology on the mildly authoritarian ways of Malaysia’s government.

Reports from the assembly hall streamed out over mobile phones, the Internet and Twitter. Khalil Idham Lim, an opposition assembly member, blogged throughout the heated exchanges and posted pictures, including one of the speaker being hauled away. Malaysia’s independent news websites offered minute-by-minute updates. “If this event had taken place 10 years ago, people might never have known what really transpired inside the assembly,” said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the Merdeka Centre, an independent polling agency. The country’s newspapers and television stations are closely monitored by the government and generally toe the line of the governing party, Umno. But high-tech gadgetry is widespread in Malaysia, which is home to many factories that make components for mobile phones and computers.

“This is really going to strain the legitimacy of the state government,” Ibrahim said. “Fair-minded people will find it very difficult to accept the way in which they took over.” Malaysiakini.com reported that at 12.41pm “plainclothes personnel” dragged out the speaker, V. Sivakumar. “It cannot be ascertained if these were police personnel,” the website said. “Sivakumar resists and shouts, ‘I am the legal speaker. Why am I being treated like this?”’ the site reported. At least eight opposition elected representatives who had come to support Sivakumar were arrested by the police as well as about 60 other opposition supporters, according to the reports by news websites and news services. Many websites showed photos taken by mobile phone of the elected representatives being led away in handcuffs.who love democracy but also shows that the legislature is in danger," said Nga, reiterating his stand that the state assembly should be dissolved.