PETALING JAYA, 14 May 2009: It is wrong of Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir to reassume the position of Perak menteri besar (MB) after the 11 May High Court ruling that declared Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin the rightful MB, the DAP said.
Lim "In a case involving a death penalty, a stay of execution does not mean the accused would be freed. It simply means the person has to wait until the final judgment is made," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today.
Lim was commenting on Zambry's resumption of duties as the Perak MB after the Court of Appeal on 12 May granted a stay of execution on the High Court's ruling.
"Zambry has no right to take over the menteri besar post. Since the High Court has decided that Nizar was the rightful menteri besar, Zambry is nothing but an usurper of power," Lim said.
He said in this situation, Nizar is the menteri besar because he was the one who was popularly elected by the people.
After the Court of Appeal granted a stay, Zambry said he would continue as menteri besar until the case was resolved when the Court of Appeal makes a decision.
Yesterday, Nizar filed an application in the Court of Appeal to set aside the stay. His application will be heard on 18 May.
In the meantime, Nizar and his executive councillors (exco) from the Pakatan Rakyat have vacated their offices in the state secretariat, while Zambry and his exco from the Barisan Nasional have reoccupied the offices.
IGP must act
Lim also called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan to immediately investigate a report lodged by Perak Speaker V Sivakumar from the Pakatan Rakyat about a gun being brought into the Perak state assembly sitting on 7 May.
Sivakumar "If the person who brought in the gun was a police [officer], stern action must be taken immediately. No one is allowed to bring firearms in any state assembly or the Parliament," Lim said.
He also noted that Zambry was given full protection by the police when he returned to the Perak state secretariat yesterday; but according to a Malaysiakini report, when Nizar went back to work on 12 May, there was a "large contingent of riot police" around the compound.
The New Straits Times also reported in its 13 May print edition on page four, in an illustration accompanying the report It's back to status quo after court grants stay, that police stopped Nizar and his exco members from entering the state secretariat compound when they wanted to report to work on 12 May following the High Court ruling.
It was only after a brief discussion with police officers that the group was allowed to enter. Zambry and his exco faced no such obstacle the following day.
"I want to remind the IGP that the police are the servants of the people. Their salaries are paid by the taxpayers, not the Barisan Nasional. Therefore, I would like to see a more professional approach from the police in handling the Perak issue," Lim said.
Lim stressed that the only way to resolve the impasse in Perak would be to dissolve the state assembly immediately to make way for fresh elections.
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