Monday, February 2, 2009

No plan to dissolve state assembly: Ngeh - Star

Feb 2, 2009

IPOH: The Pakatan Rakyat-led Perak government will not dissolve the state legislative assembly to seek a new mandate as it is still stable, said senior state executive councillor Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham.

On the contrary, he urged the Election Commission to call for by-elections in Changkat Jering and Behrang as both state seats had been declared vacant by state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar.

Ngeh, who is Perak DAP chairman, was commenting on the controversy surrounding Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman Jailu and Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mat Radzi, whose seats had been declared vacant by Sivakumar.

Sivakumar’s decision is final and the Commission should discharge its duty as usual although both assemblymen were contemplating challenging the decision, said Ngeh.

“I do not see how both assemblymen can challenge the Commission process in holding by-elections in Changkat Jering and Behrang because such an objection can only be made before the speaker officially informed the Commission that the seats had been vacated,” he said.

Ngeh also confirmed that Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, at Istana Kinta here Monday morning to inform him of political developments and the issue surrounding the resignations of the duo.

Sivakumar, who claimed that Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin had tendered their resignations via fax Sunday, said he had written to Perak Eelection Commission director Ahmad Adli Abdullah Monday, officially informing him that the seats had been vacated.

However, both Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen denied that they had resigned and lodged police reports through their representatives at Section 11 police station in Shah Alam at 2am Monday. -- Bernama

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