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Monday, May 25, 2009
Zambry denies he is 'mentri besar of the court'
IPOH, May 25 - Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir today denied he was "the chief minister of the court" who did not have the support of the Perak people, as claimed by Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
Taking a swipe at the PAS spiritual leader's remark on Saturday, that menteris besar were holding the post due to the people's votes and not by way of court decisions, Zambry said Nik Aziz should instead reserve the remark for Perak PAS Deputy Commissioner Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.
Zambry said it was Mohammad Nizar who initiated the court action to seek a declaration that he was the rightful menteri besar of Perak.
"I respect him (Nik Aziz) as a person and I hope he can correct some of his views," he told reporters after meeting two English Channel swimmers Zahra Masoumah Abdul Halim, 18, and brother Salman Ali Shariati, 12, at his office here today.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court on May 11 ruled that Mohammad Nizar was the rightful menteri besar of Perak but this was overturned by a three-man bench of the Court of Appeal on Friday. The Court of Appeal declared Zambry to be the rightful menteri besar.
Zambry said it was unlikely that the state government would seek the consent of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, to convene an emergency session of the assembly as a way out of the state's political conundrum.
"We are guided by what has been decided by the court... let the law takes its course and we hope that things would go on as usual," he said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the BN was open to the possibility of convening the session as an option to end the crisis.
Zambry also announced that the Perak government would contribute RM30,000 in cash to the English Channel attempt by the two swimmers in July.
The swimmers' father Abdul Halim Abdul Manaf, 49, a Universiti Teknologi Mara lecturer, predicted that the 38km swim across the chilly channel from Dover, England, to Calais, France, would take about 14 hours.- Bernama
News by TheMalaysianInsider..
Aminah claims she was offered top posts, RM80,000
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Independent candidate Aminah Abdullah claimed she had been offered the post of Penang Municipal Council president and RM80,000 in compensation if she would withdraw from the May 30 Penanti by-election.
If she did contest and won, she would have been given the Deputy Chief Minister 1 post, she claimed at a press conference at her makeshift election centre in Kubang Ulu here Monday morning.
Aminah said that two “top PKR leaders” had approached her at her home in Jelutong on May 13 to make the offers, which she alleged had come with the blessings of PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Claiming she had as evidence, audio on CD and a video-clip on a handphone, Aminah, 56, said she would be lodging a report with the Election Commission on Tuesday at 11am.
Aminah later made a report at the Central Seberang Prai district police headquarters, saying she feared for her safety.
The Deputy Chief Minister 1 post and Penanti state seat were left vacant by Mohamed Fairus Khairudin earlier this year while he was under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for alleged corruption.
The MACC has since cleared him of any wrongdoing, but Fairus said he now wants to further his studies.
Arrayed against Aminah in the Penanti by-election are Penang PKR deputy chairman Mansor Othman, 59, and independents manufacturing manager Nai Khan Ari, 41, and businessman Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42.
“I have all the evidence on CD and will distribute this to the media soon to tell the people the truth about this man named Anwar Ibrahim,” Aminah said, accompanied by her husband Mohd Rofi and her eldest daughter Hernanie, 25.
She said her family members were witnesses to the meeting between her and the two PKR leaders, and they had recorded the full meeting which had lasted about three hours.
She said the same leaders also met her again twice after that, once more at her home and a third time at an office in Seberang Jaya, within a week.
“The offer was made as they claim that Dr Mansor is a weak and unpopular leader and might lose in the by-election,” she said.
Aminah, the former Penang PKR Wanita chief, first made the allegations last Saturday after filing her papers at the nomination centre.
PKR strategy director Tian Chua scoffed at her allegations, saying that PKR were the favourites to win the by-election.
He said the party would be initiating legal action against Aminah later Monday unless she retracted her statement and apologised for it.
He had previously urged her to also lodge a report with the MACC.
On Monday, Aminah said she would leave it to the Election Commission to take the matter up with the graft-busting agency.
News by TheStar..
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
PERAK Crisis
5:15pm Court of Appeal sets 9am, May 18, five days from now, to hear Nizar application to set aside stay of execution granted to Zambry on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Zambry had his application for a stay heard and granted within mere hours.
2:20pm Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin files his application to set aside the Court of Appeal’s stay of execution. Application filed at Court of Appeal registry. He is believed to have asked for a three-member panel. Hearing date not yet fixed.
2:15pm Pakatan’s panel of lawyers arrive at the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya, to file an application to set aside the stay of execution granted by the Court of Appeal on Tuesday.
The stay was against the High Court ruling on Monday which declared Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin the rightful mentri besar of Perak, and asking Barisan’s Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and his executive councillors to vacate their offices.
12:45pm Perak Mentri Besar Dr Zambry, after chairing exco meeting at the state secretariat building, tells reporters that it is "business as usual."
He says investors need not worry about doing business in the state as government officers "will still be around" to perform their duties.
11:15am Lawyers on the way to the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, to file application to set aside the stay of execution of the High Court order granted to Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir by the Court of Appeal, said Pakatan Rakyat's Nga Kor Ming.
9.15am Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir reported for work at the State Secretariat building in Ipoh. Will chair an exco meeting and hold a press conference at 12.30pm.
IPOH: It was a case of now you see it now you don’t as far as the two disputing “mentris besar” of Perak are concerned.
Before Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin could even warm his seat at the mentri besar’s office in the State Secretariat building yesterday, news flashed that his successor was back to being mentri besar — pending an appeal.
Ironically, both Nizar and Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir had called press conferences at the same time the news was released, with the former stationing himself at the mentri besar’s office and the latter at the Perak Umno headquarters here.
Dr Zambry, who had caught wind of Nizar’s press conference, even held off his meeting for 15 minutes until 2pm, hoping to be able to rebut what his opponent had to say.
At this point however, the political situation in Perak is so uncertain that statements from either party could either be overtaken by events, in contempt of court, sub judice or be used to start another series of legal action.
Nizar, who just the day before was celebrating his first success in three months when the Kuala Lumpur High Court declared that he was the legitimate mentri besar, suddenly found his joy short-lived.
Dr Zambry, who vacated his office on Monday evening, returned to “power” the moment a stay of execution was granted in his favour.
Meanwhile, civil servants in the State Secretariat are in limbo.
For 10 months, they answered to Nizar and in the last three months, to Dr Zambry. On Monday, Nizar became their chief again.
Barely 24 hours later, Dr Zambry returned. And Nizar may make yet another comeback if the Court of Appeal rules in his favour.
As a result, the yo-yo game between the two mentris besar have left them even more confused than ever over which man was supposed to run the government.
Pressmen covering the political impasse in Perak too have been having a hard time keeping up with the duo’s designations.
“Who is the former mentri besar now?” lamented one journalist.
On Monday, they rushed to cover the removal of Dr Zambry and his exco men’s belongings from the State Secretariat.
Yesterday, they again flocked to the building to witness Nizar and his team reporting to work at 7.30am.
When the court decision on the stay of execution was announced at 1.15pm, reporters thronged the State Secretariat for the third time, this time to witness Nizar clearing out from the building.
Today, the media will again be at the building to see Dr Zambry reporting back to work.
In this never ending game of tug-of-war between Barisan and Pakatan, no one has been spared, especially not the Perakians, and an air of uncertainty still hangs over the entire state.
On Monday, High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim had granted a declaratory relief to Nizar that he is still and was the mentri besar at all material times.
The court, which issued a declaratory relief that Dr Zambry had no right to occupy the office of Perak Mentri Besar, also ordered him to show cause and give information under what policy, power or authority he allegedly held office and exercised the responsibilities, functions and duties as mentri besar.
For more live coverage, click TheStar..
Monday, May 11, 2009
Declared Perak MB, Nizar to hold 2am Pakatan Exco meeting in Ipoh
KUALA LUMPUR, Mon:
5:24pm: The High Court today declared Datuk Nizar Jamaluddin as the legitimate Menteri Besar of Perak and his bid to regain office will come sooner than expected after the same court denied the application of rival MB, Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, for a apply for a stay pending an appeal.
Court said the fatal Barisan Nasional mistake was despite the majority of 31 against 28, the coalition failed to take a no-confidence vote against Nizar in the state assembly.
The Judge said once appointed as chief executive of the state, the Menteri Besar is only answerable to the state assembly.
The judge also said the job of the Ruler or head of state was only to appoint a Menteri Besar and if he refuses to resign, he cannot be sacked or his position vacated.
“It is not true that Nizar had asked the ruler to dissolve the House on grounds that he had lost confidence of the majority,” he said.
In the meantime, Nizar declined to meet the Press for the customary Press conference, preferring to leave the court to travel back to Ipoh to seek an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, to get the royal consent to dissolve the Perak Assembly and call for fresh state elections.
However, he has made a pit stop at Taman Melewar, in Gombak, where the Pas headquarters is situated, presumably he briefed senior Pas leaders on the court ruling.
Nizar is expected to attend a Pas ceramah tonight and explain the court ruling to supporters before leaving for Ipoh around midnight.
Nizar told NST Reporter Jaspal Singh that once he reaches Ipoh at whatever time, he will hold a Pakatan Rakyat Exco meeting, presumably with those who were State Exco members when Nizar held office.
"I have already indicated to the palace that I am seeking an audience with the Raja Muda to present a proposal to dissolve the state assembly," he said.
"It does not matter if I am not appointed as Menteri Besar as long as the right to choose are returned to the people," he added.
NST reporters in Ipoh also established that Nizar, as of now, does not have an appointment for an audience with the Sultan of Perak. Even if he soughts one today, he is likely to get the appointment confirmed only tomorrow morning.
On March 3, after the "democracy tree" assembly held by Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen, Nizar had submitted a letter to the palace seeking that the Sultan dissolve the assembly can call for fresh state elections. However, Nizar did not get a response.
But with today's court ruling, that letter still stands. It is now a question of whether the palace may communicate a response to Nizar's letter and declare a royal ruling.
Zambry, on the other hand, has indicated through his aides that he will respect the court decision and will vacate his Menteri Besar office tonight. Zambry was not present at the court this afternoon.
His aides also indicate that the Exco members will also vacate their respective offices by tonight.
news & pic by NST Online
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Battleground Ipoh: Nizar still seeks dissolution
5:10pm Former mentri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin tells reporters that Pakatan does not acknowledge R. Ganesan as the Perak Speaker nor does it recognise Thursday’s proceedings as legal.
He says Pakatan assemblymen stayed to listen to the Royal Address out of respect to the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah.
He says he is still going to seek an audience with the palace to obtain royal consent to dissolve the Perak State Legislative Assembly, and may seek legal recourse.
Nizar then leaves the state secretariat building in his own car.
5:00pm V. Sivakumar leaves the state secretariat building in the Speaker’s official car.
4:50pm “Barisan-friendly” independent assemblymen Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Jailu, who are facing corruption charges, leave together in a Mercedes Benz car driven by Jamaluddin. The two’s resignation from PKR earlier this year, together with Hee Yit Foong’s resignation from DAP, saw the state reverting to Barisan rule from Pakatan.
4:35pm Deputy Speaker Hee Yit Foong leaves the secretariat building in an official car with her bodyguards. The Jelapang assemblymen’s resignation from her party DAP earlier this year was what led to the political impasse that saw Barisan Nasional taking over the state government.
4:10pm Datuk R. Ganesan adjourns the sitting to a later, unspecified date. Some assemblymen start to leave, but Pakatan reps prepare for a press conference.
4:05pm Tian Chua of PKR arrested outside state secretariat building after refusing to leave area. There was a brief scuffle between him, his supporters and the police.
4:01pm The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, leaves the Assembly after meeting and receiving respects from each and every member of the Assembly, from both Barisan and Pakatan sides.
Former mentri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was seen accompanying His Royal Highness as the royal entourage departed. Assembly proceedings to resume shortly.
4:00pm V. Sivakumar’s official car re-enters state secretariat building with only the driver inside.
3:47pm “Ejected” Pakatan reps Chang Ming Kai and Chang Lih Kang still seen in Dewan during the royal address despite having been ordered out by “new” Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan earlier.
Royal address ends with the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, declaring open the first meeting of the second term of the 12th Assembly.
3:15pm Former mentri besar Mohammad Nizar asks the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, for a chance to speak. The Regent summons Nizar and Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham to him, and the three exchange a few quiet words on the dais.
The two Pakatan men return to their fellow assemblymen still standing before the Ruler. All return to their seats after a quiet word from Nizar and Ngeh. The Raja Muda begins to deliver his royal address, which focuses on the economic stimulus packages.
3:12pm The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, delivers his address, focusing on the stimulus packages.
3:10pm Special Branch officers line up to form a barrier between as the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, enters the house.
3:00pm FRU personnel take up positions around the state secretariat building.
V. Sivakumar’s official car leave the building, without him in it. An unidentified woman is seen sitting in the backseat.
Inside the hall, amidst the chaos, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir tries to move a motion for prayers, in anticipation of the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, finally delivering the opening address he was scheduled to this morning.
2:55pm Under the watchful eye of Ipoh Deputy OCPD Ibrahim Abu Bakar and several plainclothes policemen stationed within the hall, Datuk R. Ganesan -- receiving boos from Pakatan reps -- attempts to resume proceedings.
He ejects Simpang Pulai rep Chang Ming Kai from the hall but the assemblyman defies his order. Teja rep Chang lih Kang was also ordered out.
2:54pm Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran is heading to the Ipoh High Court to file for a revision of the Magistrate's Court injunction barring the public from gathering within 500m of the state secretariat building.
2:50pm Police enter the Dewan again, with Pakatan reps shouting that they have no right to invade the Assembly.
In the midst of all the ruckus, V. Sivakumar is forcibly removed from the Speaker’s chair and Datuk R. Ganesan declares that the Assembly is adjourned. None of the Pakatan reps heed his call.
There are several policemen in the hall now. They lift and remove the Speaker’s chair from the hall. Ousted mentri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is heard raising his voice for the first time in today’s proceedings.
2:45pm Thirteen of the 64 people arrested this morning are released. The 13 were nabbed for going against the court order barring anyone without business in the Assembly from gathering within a 500m radius of the state secretariat building.
2:22pm It’s like your schooldays all over again -- a lone policeman enters the hall to restore order and both sides back off, only to resume shouting as soon as he leaves (Remember “Guru Besar datang, Guru Besar datang”?).
Chang Ming Kai heard shouting at “new” Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan, who is not an elected rep, “I am a state assemblyman, just who are you?”
The shouting and shoving match moves towards the Speaker’s chair.
2:15pm Barisan and Pakatan reps get into a shouting and shoving match around “new” Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan. Barisan reps try to pull their man away, but several Pakatan reps are shoving their way through, shouting “Bubar ADUN” (“Dissolve the Assembly”) and “You are not my Speaker!”
The State Secretary, ousted mentri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and the Barisan-appointed executive councillors are standing outside the fray.
2:05pm MIKE WRESTLING MATCH ON!! “New” Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan re-enters the hall to resume his place in anticipation of the opening address by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah.
Another brief scuffle ensues as Pakatan reps try to get Ganesan to leave. DAP’s Thomas Su tries to grab the microphone from Ganesan, forcing Barisan reps form a protective ring around Ganesan, who is seated on the “Barisan side” of the hall.
Some shouting and pushing goes on as Pakatan reps try to shout down Ganesan.
2:00pm A small group of people have gathered outside the Federal Reserve Unit base in Ipoh where more than 30 of the 64 people arrested this morning are being kept.
Supporters are encouraging motorists to honk their horns as a show of protest against the arrests. It’s mighty noisy in “sleepy old” Ipoh town.
12:58pm “New” Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan attempts to reconvene the sitting, but is shouted out by Pakatan reps.
Exco Hamidah Osman proposes the House adjourns for another hour, to shouts of "Ular, ular!" (snake, snake) from Pakatan reps.
The motion is seconded and Ganesan announces that the House will adjourn for an hour. Again, nobody leaves the hall.
The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, has yet to deliver his opening address.
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