Sticky: No DUN session without Sultan's consent

Note this post will stay on top until Thursday, when, hopefully things boil over and we have some hint of a resolution -- at least here is hoping

For newer posts please scroll below


Update
March 5, 2009
1400
What happens when you break your oath of office

Update
March 4, 2009
1630
Professor Rani Kamaruddin of IIUM asks this question: Dewan tu Milik Speaker ke? click on the link to read


Update
March 3, 2009
1700

COMIC RELIEF: Constipated Sivakumar pass motion under cherry tree click on the link to read


Update
Marc 3, 2009
1300

Sivakumar convenes DUN Bawah Pokok
With access to the state assembly building, speaker Sivakumar 'convened' a bawah pokok session attended by 27 opposition reps from PAS, DAP and PKR.

They even passed motion three times

The three motions were

Titi Serong assemblyman Khalil Idham Lim,
: to express support for Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the Menteri Besar;

Teja assemblyman Chang Lih Kang,
: to dissolve the state assembly to enable fresh elections to be held


Pantai Remis assemblyman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham
: for the Speaker to initiate contempt proceedings against the police, Home Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Perak State Secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Hashim and all the government servants who had blocked today's sitting of the state assembly.

The 30-minute session which started at about 10.20am was attended by Speaker V.Sivakumar and all the 27 assemblymen from PAS, DAP and Parti Keadilan.

Update
March 2, 2009
2300

State DUN speaker Sivakumar suspends the secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri for supporting BN

Peerrrhhh!!! Not even in the wildest dream of the craziest fiction writer would this happen.

A high stake of political poker,

Everyone kept upping the ante until we are now forced to look at a ado or die situation

Let's see who blinks first


Update
March 2, 2009
1715

NST Online » Frontpage2009/03/02

Main entrance to Perak State Secretariat building
to be sealed tomorrow - NST Newsdesk

KUALA LUMPUR,
Mon.:
The main entrance to the Perak State Secretariat building will be
closed tomorrow. All appointments are set to be postponed, said the Secretariat
Management.

ORIGINAL POST

Perak State Assembly secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri said that the special session, or, if fact, any session, must be called by the Sultan.

Abdullah cited standing order PT8(1) which he says must be read together with Article XXXVI (1) of the state constitution

Basically he says that the DUN secretary must announce that His Royal Highness has called for a session of the Assembly - i.e the it is teh Sultan who calls for the session, not the Speaker. Sorry dude, you can tell Nga and Ngeh that they cannot run roughshod over the Sultan of Perak

Below is an exceprt from the Bernama article

“Permasyhuran memanggil dewan dibuat oleh DYMM (Duli Yang Maha Mulia)
Sultan. Ini adalah berdasarkan PT 1 (Perintah Tetap DUN) yang mengatakan “maka
Setiausaha Dewan hendaklah membacakan Pemasyhuran DYMM Seri Sultan Perak Darul
Ridzuan memanggil mesyuarat..”.

“PT 10 (1) mengatakan “ Penggal Dewan hendaklah diadakan pada waktu dan
tempat sebagaimana yang ditetapkan oleh DYMM Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzuan
dari semasa ke semasa melalui perisytiharan dalam Warta,” katanya.

Beliau berkata berasaskan PT 10 (1) itu, kuasa mutlak untuk memanggil
sidang DUN adalah kuasa Sultan Perak dan ia tidak boleh dipertikaikan.

“Ini adalah kerana Perkara XXXVI(1) Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Perak
Darul Ridzuan memberi kuasa yang jelas kepada DYMM Sultan Perak untuk memanggil
DUN bersidang,” katanya.

Beliau berkata Perkara XXXVI (1) memperuntuk “DYMM hendaklah dari semasa ke
semasa memanggil bersidang Dewan Negeri itu dan tidaklah boleh membiarkan tempoh
enam bulan berlalu di antara perjumpaan yang akhir lepas dalam satu persidangan
dengan tarikh yang ditetapkan bagi perjumpaan yang pertama dalam persidangan
yang di hadapan.” Abdullah berkata peruntukan di atas adalah peruntukan
Perlembagaan yang merupakan Undang-Undang
Tertinggi di negeri Perak dan jelas menunjukkan kuasa untuk memanggil
sidang DUN adalah kuasa Sultan Perak.

I had earlier asked whether all rules are adhered to by the Speaker when calling an emergency session with very short notice.

It seems that he has overreached his powers, in fact he may have gone over the Sultan's authority, calling the session without His Royal Highness's consent.

Well, let's see how it goes tomorrow.