Directive to shut down Perak Secretariat's retrieved

IPOH: The State Secretary’s office issued circulars last evening directing staff members to cancel all appointments in the premises today because the entrances to the building would be shut.

However, the circulars were retrieved about an hour after they were pasted on the doors of several offices.

Later when asked if the directives had been withdrawn, State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim said: “My officer informed me that they had been collected back. I cannot comment further on that.”

That development has left a question mark as to whether the “emergency sitting” of the Perak State Assembly, supposed to start here today, would be held.

The “emergency sitting” was called by Pakatan Rakyat Speaker V. Sivakumar. Barisan Nasional Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir has called it “invalid and unlawful”.

Dr Abdul Rahman said he was unaware what would happen today during the “emergency sitting” and would not confirm or deny if the House would be locked.

“In fact, I too did not receive any invitation to attend this emergency sitting.”

The circulars were pasted on the office doors at about 4pm when a reporter managed to get copies of it and passed them on to about 20 other journalists waiting outside Dr Zambry’s office for his press conference.

When one reporter tried to make a photocopy of the circular, some officials of the mentri besar’s office said it was not for publication.

Later, reporters were informed the circulars had been “collected back”.

At the press conference, Dr Zambry warned that anyone who tried to attend the sitting would be deemed as “threatening the safety of the state.”

“As far as I and my exco are concerned, there was no consent given by the Sultan over the convening of this so-called emergency sitting.

“I would like to stress here that without such consent, whatever ‘sitting’ held would be considered invalid and unlawful.”

The press conference, held late in the evening, was attended by most of the Barisan exco members, several Barisan representatives and Barisan-friendly Independents Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi.

Dr Zambry accused Sivakumar of not acting within his jurisdictional powers by calling for the sitting without royal consent.

“He has used his powers unfairly to achieve his own political agenda and he had ridiculed the proceedings of the House.”

He said he would challenge in court Sivakumar’s decision to call for the emergency sitting of the state assembly “in due course.”

Later, former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali said that should Pakatan go ahead with today’s sitting, it would be unfair towards Barisan.

“It will be 21 (Barisan assemblymen) against 28 (Pakatan assemblymen), so where is the fairness?

“You ask us to go for a fight and then you tie our hands behind our backs. We might as well just stay at home,” he said. (TheStar)