Perak Pakatan reps to attend May 7 assembly

IPOH: Perak Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen, including ousted mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, will attend the state assembly sitting on May 7.

Nizar however noted that the attendance would be under protest for the notices on the assembly sent out without the knowledge of Speaker V. Sivakumar.

“We will attend the assembly still, out of respect to the Speaker.

“We will be there to honour whatever decision the Speaker makes,” he told reporters after attending a briefing with Pakatan-elected village chiefs here Thursday.

Amongst the much-awaited decision is the seating arrangement in the House, which will be indicated by Sivakumar himself.

Nizar said that to date, the sitting arrangement practised previously would remain unchanged and Pakatan’s place was still on the right side of the Speaker, where the government of the day sits.

“As far as we know, the sitting arrangement is still status quo. However, this is still subject to any decision made by the Speaker to relocate the seats,” he said.

Nizar also said that Pakatan had not fielded any questions to the Barisan Nasional government for the usual question and answer session in the House.

As such, the session would be scrapped from the assembly agenda.

”We have no questions for them because questions are only posed to a legal government. ”We do not recognise this (Barisan) government,” he said.

Nizar also said that Pakatan would not respond to a recent notice sent by assembly secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri asking all assemblymen to propose a candidate to replace the Speaker.

The letter was sent in view of the possible success of a motion filed by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir to remove Sivakumar from the Speaker’s post.

“We will not respond to this because the Speaker is still valid,” he said.

On the motion, Nizar said that Sivakumar still reserved the right to reject it or allow it to be brought into the House.

“It is up to him to decide. Any state assemblyman has the right to file a motion but the Speaker decides whether to shelve it or bring it up for discussions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nizar said he was unable to predict what would happen during the much-anticipated May 7 sitting and told reporters to be patient.

“On May 7, we will all have a nice cup of tea and go for breakfast with all the assemblymen.

“You are welcome to join us if you so wish. The rest, I do not know what will happen,” he jokingly told reporters. (TheStar)