Speaker cannot represent himself

The High Court here ruled that Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar cannot act for himself in a lawsuit brought against him by three independent assemblymen, and must use the state legal adviser.

Sivakumar had appeared in court Wednesday to represent himself after it was earlier ruled he could not appoint his own counsel, but this was rejected.

Judicial Commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim reaffirmed his previous decision that the Speaker was a state officer who could only be represented by the state legal adviser under Section 24(3) of the Government Proceedings Act.

The Court fixed March 16 to hear two related applications -- the first by Sivakumar asking the suit to be struck out, and the other for three former state executive council members and three voters to intervene in the case.

On Feb 27, the three independent assemblymen -- Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering), Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang) -- filed a suit seeking a declaration that they were still elected representatives.