After Malacca fiasco, Perak Harapan foresees tense moment in state sitting

Perak Pakatan Harapan has raised concern that the one-day state legislative assembly tomorrow may see Perikatan Nasional state government bulldozing the election process of the speaker post not in accordance with the standing order.

This came after PN's counterpart in Malacca reconvened its state assembly earlier today to choose its own speaker after the sitting was adjourned.

Speaking with Malaysiakini, Perak deputy speaker Aminuddin Zulkipli (above) confirmed a copy of the motion to replace speaker Ngeh Koo Ham and deputy speaker was sent to the speaker's office.

However, he noted that the motion failed to meet the seven-day notice as required in the state assembly's standing order.

It is a practice of the House to reject a motion that contravenes the standing order, he added.

Aminuddin said he wasn't sure of the fate of the motion brought by PN as it is the speaker's jurisdiction to deal with the motion.

Aminuddin, who is also Behrang state assemblyperson, advised PN against rushing through the motion to have the speaker and deputy speaker replaced by tomorrow.

When asked how to avoid the fiasco which occurred at the Malacca state assembly sitting, he said: "Everyone can claim they have wisdom, even a cow has a brain too. But what differentiates (the human being from an animal) is, we have principles.

"You have to uphold your dignity. PN commands the number in the House and it has the right to table a motion to choose (its) speaker, but just do it honourably."

Aminuddin added that PN needs to know what to prioritise in the state during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I don't think the people like to see a chaotic situation, it is not nice if it happens in Perak," he said, referring to the incident in Malacca.

PKR's Simpang Pulai state assemblyperson Tan Kar Hing (photo) said PN's motion has deprived the lawmakers' right to name their designate candidate for speaker as stipulated under Clause 4 of the Standing Order.

The clause states that the lawmakers can submit their candidate seven days before the sitting and they would vote for the candidate during the sitting, according to Tan.

"We were not given a form to choose a candidate for the new speaker. The speaker and his deputy are still validly holding the posts, they have yet to be removed," he said.

Tan urged PN, which controls 35 out of 59 seats in Perak, to change the speaker according to the standing order and state constitution to avoid a repeat of the 2009 fiasco in the Perak legislative assembly.

He was referring to the incident in 2009 when the state speaker was dragged out from the assembly after BN ousted the Pakatan Rakyat government. 

"Well, it may not be the situation (where the speaker was dragged out), but it will probably end up the same way as in Malacca.

"Then things will turn ugly," said Tan.

Newly minted opposition leader Abdul Aziz Bari, however, has some faith in Perak lawmakers as he could not imagine them hurling insulting words such as "babi" (pig) at each other, just like what the lawmaker in Malacca did earlier today.

"Perak lawmakers are (more) disciplined," he said.

Aziz said PN had made a mistake by submitting its new candidate for a speaker not according to the seven-day notice as stated in the standing order.

"(If PN continues) to push for its agenda, then things would be chaotic. What happened in Malacca is a shame, as its image has been tarnished.

"Such an incident will become a liability for the PN government. Every one of us sees that you command a majority, so what you have to do is do it correctly," he said.  -Mkini