Open-Air Assembly

Pakatan Stages Country's First Open-Air Assembly

In the shade of a rain tree, some 50 metres from the State Secretariat in Ipoh yesterday, history was made when 28 Pakatan Rakyat state assemblymen gathered for the country's first-ever open-air assembly sitting.

Witnessed by a small crowd of about 300, the extraordinary event followed their barring from the State Secretariat by the police, in accordance with assembly secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri's declaration of the emergency sitting as unlawful for lacking the consent of ruler Sultan Azlan Shah.

Unperturbed, the Pakatan assemblymen, under Speaker V. Sivakumar, decamped to a small clearing under the rain tree to proceed with the fourth sitting of the first session of the 12th Perak state assembly.

Despite the rising heat of the late morning sun, Sivakumar, formally dressed in his official robe and songkok, called the meeting to order at 10.10am.

Over a portable PA system, he announced to all the assemblymen present that the sitting would be held under the tree as efforts by Pakatan assemblymen to gain entry into the state secretariat had been thwarted by the police.
"The police have left me with no other choice," Sivakumar announced. "Because of their action, I cannot conduct this meeting in the state secretariat.

"Therefore, by the powers vested in me as the speaker, I hereby declare this spot as the venue of the House."

The assembly then proceeded with the reading of the doa by Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki, the newly appointed secretary of the House, after which Sivakumar announced that the House had received three motions and that these would be read and voted on by a show of hands.

The first motion, tabled by Titi Serong assemblyman Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah, sought the assembly's support in declaring that former menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was the rightful menteri besar appointed by Sultan Azlan Shah, and had the confidence of the majority to hold that office.

The second motion, tabled by Teja assemblyman Chang Lih Kang, called on all state assemblymen to support the dissolution of the current assembly and to ask Nizar to seek an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah, to get the ruler's consent for dissolution to allow for state elections.

Sitiawan state assemblyman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham then proceeded to table the third motion, requesting that the state assembly adopt the decision of the Committee of Privileges to suspend Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and his six exco members and bar them from state assembly sittings.

All three motions were unanimously approved by the Pakatan state assemblymen, whereupon Nizar proposed that the assembly be adjourned. With Ngeh seconding that motion, Sivakumar adjourned the assembly at 10.30am.

At a press conference held at DAP headquarters around 11am, Nizar expressed his disappointment that the police had interfered by stopping the assemblymen from performing their legislative duties.

"Because of police action, the speaker was forced to hold the sitting of the assembly under a tree. This should not have happened at all," he said, adding that the meeting was valid under the "doctrine of necessity".

Asked when he would meet Sultan Azlan Shah on dissolving the state assembly, Nizar said he would first have to discuss the matter with Sivakumar.

"The only way to resolve the current impasse or constitutional crisis is for (Sultan Azlan Shah) to dissolve the assembly and hold fresh elections," Nizar said.

"That is why we passed a resolution on that matter. The rakyat is crying from their hearts for a solution to the present crisis. And, as we all know, only Tuanku has the power to dissolve the assembly. We in the Pakatan sincerely hope that Sultan Azlan Shah will consent to the dissolution when we see him."

Asked what Pakatan would do if the ruler declined to grant their wish, Nizar said Pakatan would continue its battle through legal means as well as through the office of the speaker.

Sivakumar, who was not at the press conference but was in another room in the building, declined to speak with reporters.