MACC grills Perak Speaker for three hours

By Anilnetto

First, they put the pressure on Selangor MB Khalid.

Now, it’s the turn of Perak Speaker V Sivakumar to feel the heat. He was questioned by the MACC for three hours last night for alleged abuse of power probably in relation to the suspensions of BN state assembly members.

Meanwhile, Nazri informed Parliament yesterday that the ACA had opened four investigation papers into the Lingamtape affair. Three of these were sent to the Attorney General, who classified two under “no further action” while the remaining one was still awaiting further investigation. The fourth paper is still with the ACA.

In case you missed theSun report, here it is:

Sivakumar quizzed by MACC for three hours
Humayun Kabir

IPOH (Feb 25, 2009) : Perak Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar was questioned for three hours by two Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers from Putrajaya in relation to reports lodged against him for alleged abuse of power.

The questioning took place at the official residence of the Mentri Besar here from about 6.20pm to about 9.20pm.

“A very dangerous precedent has been set by the authorities in challenging the immunity powers of the Speaker as the rights of a Speaker have not been respected by the authorities,” Sivakumar told a press conference after the questioning.

He said as before when questioning by three state commercial police officers on Monday, relating to reports lodged against him for recent political and constitutional developments in the state, he gave his full cooperation to the MACC officers today.

“I acted very professionally during both the questioning sessions although they should not do this (to me) in the first place as the Speaker has immunity powers against civil and criminal proceedings for anything said or done,” he added.

It is believed that the reports were relating to Sivakumar’s suspension of Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six state executive council members from the State Assembly for 18 months and 12 months respectively for contempt of the House.

Last Wednesday, Perak state assembly’s rights and privileges committee chaired by Sivakumar handed down the suspensions, throwing the state deeper into a constitutional and political crisis.

Many constitutional lawyers have given their opinion on whether Sivakumar had the power to do what he did and Zambry has set up a legal team to advise him on his next course of action.

The only thing clear is that Sivakumar has to convene the state assembly to endorse the decision as the assembly was not in session when the committee met.

He had written to the Sultan of Perak last week for consent to convene a special sitting and he is waiting for the reply from the palace.

Sivakumar has also engaged the services of lawyers Chan Kok Keong and Augustine Anthony to defend him against the onslaught of the political turmoil that is raging in Perak now.

Earlier DAP Sitiawan assemblyman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham had thrown a challenge to Zambry and his exco members not to take salaries during their course of rule of the state until the High Court decides on the legality of the Perak state government.

The Pakatan Rakyat exco members will do likewise, he said.

Ngeh said that only the legal state government should draw salaries and the rakyat should not be short-changed in paying both the BN and PR exco teams salaries.