KUALA LUMPUR, 15 June 2009: Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein defended the action by police in entering the Perak state legislative assembly to remove embattled Speaker V Sivakumar from the assembly hall on 7 May.
Hishammuddin (File pic
courtesy of theSun) Hishammuddin said that the move was taken to restore order and was in accordance with the standing order of the Perak state legislative assembly.
It was also done following a request by the new speaker, Datuk S Ganesan, that the police assist the sergeant-at-arms to remove Sivakumar as he no longer held the post.
"Despite being repeatedly ordered to vacate his seat, Sivakumar refused to budge, prompting the new speaker to ask police to enter the assembly hall to restore order and assist the sergeant-at-arms to remove him," he said in reply to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) and Datuk Ngeh Koo Han (DAP-Beruas) during question time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Anwar and Ngeh wanted the government to explain Sivakumar's removal from the assembly.
Refuting claims that police had intruded on the Perak legislative assembly, Hishammuddin said the move by the speaker in requesting police to help restore order was in accordance with Standing Order 89 and 90.
To a question by Datuk Idris Haron (BN-Tangga Batu) on the way the media reported the incident, Hishammuddin said the media could choose to report the matter in any way they wanted.
He said the incident was fully recorded in the state assembly Hansard from the start until the opening of the state legislative assembly by the Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.
"There are a series of interruptions recorded in the very first page of the Hansard. There are eight interruptions recorded in page six, nine in page seven... there are no interruptions recorded after page 24.
"Only then could Raja Dr Nazrin deliver his speech without interruption. We took action to restore order. After that, the Perak state legislative assembly proceeded smoothly," Hishammuddin said. — Bernama
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