SUARA WARGA PERAK

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Perak speaker's decision to suspend the MB and Exco correct?

The Perak state assembly speaker had issued a summons to the illegitimate MB Dato Zamri and his six excos( state ministers). They were all summoned to appear before the committee of Privileges yesterday at 3.30pm. After hearing their versions/ story the Speaker made a decision to suspend Dato Zamri for 18months and the exco members for 12 months. During this period they are barred from attending the state assembly.

Many rang me to ask where the speaker got the power to act against the seven. According to Standing Orders 72(2) the Speaker can and has such power but he has subsequently to table his findings to the state assembly.

But the question is if the Speaker is wrong in his interpretation of the rules he is amply protected by standing order 89 and 90 which are set out below.

Rulings of Mr. Speaker:

89. The decision of Mr. Speaker upon any point of interpretation of any of these Standing Orders, or upon any matter of practice, shall subject to substantive motion moved for that purpose, be final, and Mr. Speaker may from time to time issue rulings thereon.

Residuary powers:

90. All matters not specifically provided in these Standing Orders and all questions relating to the detailed working of these Standing Orders shall be regulated in such manner, no inconsistent with these Standing Orders, as Mr. Speaker may from time to time directs; and in giving any such direction Mr. Speaker shall have regard to the usages of Commonwealth Parliamentary practice so far as such usages can be applied to the proceedings of the Assembly.

It is my view that the Speaker’s decision is correct and ought to be respected. In the event if anyone is aggrieved by it, by all means do file a substantive motion in the Perak state assembly to dispute and until then even the Prime Minister is subject to and bound by the Speakers ruling.

UMNO is now undermining the rule of law by lodging Police reports against the Speaker. All these actually tantamount's to contempt and the Speaker can strictly saying act on them.

I am a recipient of some harsh decisions of the speaker of Parliament and I have even been suspended by the speaker last year. The decision was unfair but one has to live with it. These decisions are sometimes part of the risk one take when one is elected to the august house!

1 comment:

analyst said...

YB I read your arguments in NST with Ramli Ngah Talib. He talk non-sense. Kalau ikut pertandingan bola i will give you the point 10-0. You win.