The New Straits Times | March 5, 2009
IN THE SERIOUS business of politically administering the hapless state of Perak, the “law of the jungle” seems to be the best recourse or a desperate precedent – if you can’t hold it at its august home due to some technical/political/security glitch, hold it under a tree in a nearby car park. The State Assembly Speaker is the Speaker no matter the location as long as he decrees it as a proper assembly, makeshift and improvised as it is. Serious business aside, there is something either charmingly comedic about today’s tree gathering episode or it was a demonstrative power of Speaker power symbolism.
Of course, the “law of the jungle” here is not meant to disrespect the Speaker’s position or his competency to operate in a democratic environment. As far as legitimacy calls, V. Sivakumar appears to hang on to his authority as steadfastly as he dispenses his orders, even if it meant calling for a Privileges Committee meeting and deeming Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Kadir and his State Exco members’ very existence as a contempt to the assembly on top of the “illegitimate” cost of maintaining their posts.
Students and observers of the art of political science can admire and even appreciate the plausible gambits that Sivakumar has been advised to execute in frustrating the new BN Perak Government, not for the distress it cause, but for the counter manoeuvres it had opened up.
Sun Tzu’s The Art of War may have been a possible guiding book in deploying this regulated strategy but sceptics may define it as a ruse. Perhaps. In any case, anyone in Sivakumar’s embattled position, or that of the Pakatan Rakyat, seeing how their power was unceremoniously snatched in brilliant manoeuvres marshalled by the BN chieftains, would have just as easily lobbed the various spanners in the works just to ensure Pakatan’s grievances are plaintively trumpeted.
For now, at least in Perak, gambits of various manifestations – constitutional fortitude, political chicanery, road blocks of legal caveats…call it whatever you want – are as good as it can get because there is no precedent that instructs that you can’t. That’s the political weapon Pakatan Rakyat wields now in this administrative mess. Unless a court convening this week orders the alliance otherwise. Even the role of court is under scrutiny, whether the judge has the power to rule over a different division of power.
As much as Sultan Azlan Shah had correctly exercised his discretionary powers in ordering Nizar Jamaluddin to vacate his Menteri Besar’s post after a three-assemblymen defection from the Pakatan ranks triggered the collapse of the PR State Government, and then appointed Zambry as the new Menteri Besar, no one could have anticipated Pakatan Rakyat’s recalcitrance in proceeding with a defiantly stubborn exit strategy.
Having stated Sivakumar’s right to exercise his options to hang on to the Speakership with whatever constitutional, legal and political means necessary, and thus the Pakatan’s raison d’être in Perak, it’s just about right to question his judgment to move the location of the alternative assembly to…a car park under a tree!
Pakatan Rakyat defacto leader Anwar Ibrahim defended Sivakumar’s taste of the venue: “What else do you do? Knowing that there will be a sitting, you bar the place, forcing them to have it under a tree or a car park. He (Sivakumar) does not have a choice. He had given a notice, there was an agenda but they barred him from entering his office,” he ranted at a media conference at the Parliament lobby after the “assembly” adjourned. That’s a tad too thin, as far as Anwar’s reasoning goes. “We held the sitting under a tree based on the doctrine of necessity…” was Nizar’s pompous but arguable characterisation of the improvised assembly.
Of course Sivakumar would have better options than to hold the “assembly” under a tree, a raintree, according to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor). There’s always the comfortable air-conditioned hall in a nearby hotel. What about the halls of the PR parties’ respective state headquarters? Worse comes to worse, your friendly neighbourhood hall would have been a respectable venue. That aside and under the balmy, unforgiving weather, the 28 PR assemblymen huddled in a circle, their motions and debates deliberated in all grave earnestness while they allow themselves to be overheard or eavesdropped by a big crowd enjoying the oddity of the moment.
But Sivakumar just had to choose a rain tree. Then another explanation beckon, a symbolic one that Sivakumar may be trying to extract in squeezing every mileage out of this ridiculous impasse. Buddha attained nirvana under a bodhi tree; some people see succour and strength from a rain tree, the comfort of its shade and the life it gives to animals or beasts depending on its heat-protecting generosity. It’s been harboured by others that trees in virtually all rain forests invoke symbols of mystery and power, and for the spiritualists, the trees are the intimately sacred link between humans and nature.
If Sivakumar had petitioned these concepts as the cause for his “raintree democracy”, then he is surely getting ahead of himself. First, he didn’t win consent from the Sultan and second, the High Court later granted an order prohibiting him from convening further raintree assemblies. Whatever will his next gambit be?
But as far as street-wise symbolism goes, Sivakumar, and to a certain extent, Pakatan Rakyat’s Anwar Ibrahim, have scored some points today in their incessant endeavour to force a solution to their liking – a dissolution of the state assembly to allow fresh state elections or the second option to force a motion of no-confidence against Zambry and thus, snap elections.
When the Barisan Nasional made the play for the Perak Government, perhaps they underestimated the tenacious, pitbull-like characteristic of Pakatan Rakyat to respond to that stiff hook on the chin with a wrestler’s clumsy hammerlock. This political wrestling match has dragged on for several rounds with no respite and no winners. Like the farce in a wrestling match, the altercation now waits for one side to pin down the other and force a mandatory three-count call.
And like the farcical but professional wrestling matches over WWF, it’s easy enough to make the call but annoyingly tedious to reach three. For the time being, it is anybody’s wrestling match.
Oh Jungle people..
We are happy people
We are happy people
love that song since I was kid
Reply
i don’t really understand why those idiots from BN never or don’t want to understand whats the real law is all about. Respects only applied to those who’s supporting them. The still playing and acted like a kindergarden kids. when ever things not at their side..they will totally ignored. Stop all this nonsense, start to be a real professional politician.
Reply
This article is contributed by KellyvilleAce, currently residing in Australia
This is just a gentle reminder to ALL PERAKIANS. The bushfires in Australia is still raging and so should the fire in the Silver State. Our Prime Minister has stated that all those found guilty of having started these “bush fires” should be left to rot in jail. I just hope your own PM agrees. They are of the same intellect aren’t they?
In case you have not yet come across this article emailed to me, this is hopefully another wake up call. I only disagreed with the subject title. It should have been more appropriately labeled, 4 FROGS and 1 BIG FAT TOAD! Here is what I just received: Actually there are 5 FROGS.
According to sources from MCA that the PAY off is financed by some rich Chinese businessman in Perak. Probably, Najib approached these rich Chinese Business man to do the needful for him.
The First – Two frogs, were 1) Mohd Osman and 2) Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi – (he is greedier than the rest). These two got RM1 – RM2 million each. ( melayu tiada harga cheep sale )3) Hee Yit Foong – She got the most RM10 million. Well her days are numbered! Her husband is a business man in Jelapang worth RM1.5million. 4) Nasharuddin Hashim – probably got only a few millions. His political career – will be his last term in office, if he ever serves the constituency again. 5) The 5th FROG is the ruler of Perak – He also received a few million cash more than the rest of the FROGS except not more than RM4.0 million. (If the ruler of Perak decides to dissolve the State Assembly he gets nothing from UMNO).
Further the ruler of Perak through his private vehicle companies will receive some major contracts from the Federal Government.
With the new incoming state government of Perak, it can pay up RM300 million (which is funded by the federal Government) to kick start the WEST COAST highway. KEURO is the concessionaire. The stakeholders are the Selangor state government who has to fork out RM300 million, the Perak state government also has to come up with RM300 million and the balance RM400 million will be from KEURO. (IJM Berhad is a major shareholder wanting to secure the WEST COAST highway – to make money) the deadline to fulfill this entire financial obligation is MARCH 2009. Read The Edge magazine that was on sale Saturday 31st January 2009.
If you guys can recall or remember during the SABAH crisis Mustapha (who was then the opposition against BN) went to the SABAH ISTANA to be sworn in as the Chief Minister (at 4 or 5 am) and lay claim of it. Azlan Shah was the Agung; Mahathir was the then Prime Minister paid every ruler of the states 100,000 shares of Tenaga to entice these rulers and Agung to get their support to bring down Mustapaha. Later some of the Sabah state assemblymen defected to form the BN state government in Sabah.
Azlan Shah and his family then controlled GAMUDA. Later when Azlan Shah retired as Agung, Gamuda received many projects and now his daughter is one of the biggest shareholders of the company.
WELL the Power Grab is all about MONEY. Najib wants POWER and fame. He has the money, if you can remember US$300 million commission from the Submarine deal. ALTANTUYA. Easily spent RM20 million or as little as US$5 million to settle all the 5 FROGS of PERAK.
Kalau tuan pergi ke kangar
Belikan saya sebotol bedak
Rakyat tanya buat tak dengar
Itulah dia si pekak badak
Sampan berakit ke hujung hulu
Dayung tersngkut di celah akar
Baru kini rakyat dah tahu
Segala rahsia sudah terbongkar
Reply
mokumanamana Reply:
March 5th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
RIGHTEOUSSS…
Reply
Please be realistic. There was a huge crowd at the State Secretariat area with the police and FRU people all over. You think it could be possible for the ADUNs to adjourn to another air-conditioned hall in time to beat the would be time of decision by the High court?
Reply
Now who is who when they rebuked one another as
uncivilised and practising Law of Jungle.
The judges- Snap Election and let the rakyat decide.
It’s fair that the one who got balls to take the challenge as True Fighter whatever
the outcome is.
Why the balls shrinks into flat tyre when the word -Snap Election is audible ?
Does that word ” snap” can cause the tyre to get punctured ?
Reply
They have failed to follow the constitution both State and Federal. MB Nizar has not resigned and neither has his state cabinet, therefore the Speaker is still the valid speaker of the Perak State Assembly. If he is barred from entering the State Assembly to which he is the boss, then he has no other choice but to declare a suitable place for the assembly to convene. If he had decided to have it one of the coalition parties headquaters then it would have become an issue for the opponents. So the best he could do was to have it under the tree nearest to the State Assembly which also goes to show that it is a point which has been made i.e. if we are not allowed to convene where we are supposed to, then we will do it nearest to our actual place to convene. Further as speaker or the head of the legislature, he has the power to decide. How come no one makes noise at the antics of the Speaker of the Dewan Raykat?
He throws out important motions, matters of urgent public importance, and most of all he welcomes it when the opposition stages walk outs. Off course, he also throws out the MPs. So how come it is not challenged in the courts? Easy, the speaker is covered under art 72 of the Federal Constitution and the same goes for Speaker Siva. So on one hand we allow it and don’t make noise because the speaker is from the BN and on the other we scream and decide to call the cops in because the speaker is from the opposition! It is clear as day, it is double standards!
Even if the High Court were to use its inherent powers under the Courts of Judicature Act 1964, it still can direct a Speaker as he is immune from its powers when he conducts the business of the house of representatives.
The speaker here has done what was within his wide powers and he should be appreciated for it instead of being ridiculed!
Reply
The unruly state of affairs in Perak started with the witholding of Royal consent for the dissolution of the State Assembly. It was not the Sultan’s fault. It was the blind political game playsed by Najib Razak. Najib Razak was the man who masterminded the chaos for his political greed.
Now with the new evidence digged by a French writer, Najib Razak should be arrested and tried for a case related to the murder of Altantuya.
This man is dangerous, and he should be arrested immediately.
Reply
PKR Sarawak is asking donation for the Batang Ai N29 by-election. Maybank account: Piee Bin Ling
Account no: 5110-8361-2631. According to the blog, it is been approved by YB Dominique. Can DSAI confirm the authentic of this message.
Reply
cacamata Reply:
March 5th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Yes… why not to fair and square proof that you care for the welfare of the ppl of Sarawak voters in Batang Ai in particular. No money no vote. That had been the general practice of the current voting trend.
Reply
Masih ada peluang bagi Sultan Perak untuk menyahut kehendak rakyat untuk memperkenankan pembubaran Dewan Negeri Perak sebagai langkah yg terbaik untuk memulihkan kembali kepercayaan rakyat. Jika peluang ini tidak diambil rasa hormat rakyat terhadap institusi Raja akan terhakis.
Penglibatan Institusi Raja2 yg memihak disebalik sendiwara UMNO/BN akan hanya menimbulkan amarah rakyat. Dan sudah tentu akan membongkarkan lebih banyak rahsia penglibatan kaum kerabat didalam perniagaan raksaksa yg dikaitkan dengan beberapa kerat pemimpin BN/UMNO yg rakus kuasa.
Saya percaya rakyat khususnya orang2 melayu masih sayangkan Raja sebagai pelindung rakyat. Dan bertindaklah sebagai payung utk semua.
Reply
Did the police & FRU had the right to not allow the Statesmen to go into State building?
Reply
Kita tidak memerlukan pakar undang-undang atau perlembagaan untuk memahami kemelut politik di Perak. Bagi saya apa yang berlaku itu ialah lambang kekuasaan wang (It demonstrates the power of money). Semua oarng akur dengan perintahnya (wang)setelah ‘dia’ masuk ke dalam wallet. Dalam keadaan ini maka malang bagi masa depan Malaysia kerana pemimpin yang ada, terutama UMNO dikawal oleh wang. Ketakwaan dan ketaatan kepada hukum Allah dilupakan dan tidak dijadikan asas membuat keputusan. Bagi saya ini merupakan cabaran yang amat besar ke atas ulama kita, termasuk mufti-mufti yang sehingga sekarang semuanya membisu.Hanya ulamak dalam Pas sahaja yang berani menegur atau mengeluarkan pendapat.
Reply
tell me who says no to the perak disorder by the bn government. when pakatan has anything it is always against, bn whatever bn does is orderly!!!!!!! bn government is full of rubbish.
Reply