Walk-out by Pakatan Rakyat

No-confidence motion rejected, opposition stages walkout

Soon Li Tsin, Rahmah Ghazali and Tarani Palani | Jul 14, 08 12:59pm

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia today disallowed a no-confidence debate against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, resulting in a walk-out by opposition Pakatan Rakyat MPs. MCPX Pandikar rejected the emergency motion filed by Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Friday on the grounds that the issue had already been debated last month. According to the Speaker, the debate on the oil price hike filed by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad on June 23 was a no-confidence motion. In that motion, the government won with a vote of 129 against 78. At noon, Wan Azizah stood up in the Dewan Rakyat to ask the Speaker to reconsider his decision against allowing the no-confidence debate. However, Pandikar refused to entertain the request. “I do not even need to give a reason for rejecting a motion. I have read the motion and it asks for a resolution and that does not fall under Standing Order 18(1) in which it is filed under.” “How can I allow something that does not fall within this SO (standing orders)? If I allowed it, the whole world will look at me and see if I make a stupid decision or not,” he said. Shouting match This led to a shouting match with BN MPs telling their opposition counterparts to sit while a visibly agitated Pandikar Amin hammered his gavel several times demanding for order. Around 12.20pm, Wan Azizah then announced that Pakatan Rakyat MPs would walk out since they were not given the opportunity to carry the voice of the public to the August House. Outside the hall, the PKR president told reporters that she was unhappy with the way the emergency motion was dealt with by both the Speaker and the police. “I want to know why was the motion rejected. This is the government’s reaction to us because we wanted to debate a motion democratically in Parliament. “We’re disappointed and we regret that this has happened. Is this a siege? What is there to it? The Speaker only needs to give 30 minutes for us to speak and another 30 for the government to speak. “This is why we walked out. They disrespect the rules and the voice of the people that we carry into the house,” she said. She said the opposition will also boycott the rest of today’s proceedings to protest against the police action today in turning Parliament into a “war zone”. There was a heavy police presence in Parliament as roadblocks were mounted along major roads leading to the building causing massive traffic jams. Why bar Anwar? The roadblocks are in anticipation of a protest ahead of the possible no-confidence debate. However, the opposition denied calling for a rally and the police yesterday obtained a court order barring PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim from the vicinity. Commenting on this, Wan Azizah expressed amazement at the overreaction by various parties over Anwar’s interest in attending Parliament. “He expressed his interest to attend parliament to hear the motion and that triggered such an amazing reaction. “How can an individual be barred from entering if he is a guest of mine? Until there is a directive that any guest of the MP is not allowed in. I don’t understand. “I want the inspector-general of police to explain why is there this (overblown) reaction,” she said, adding that it gives the impression that Malaysia is a police state. On whether Pakatan will file a similar motion in future, Wan Azizah said the parties will discuss to see what to do next. Not the right order At a separate press conference, Pandikar Amin said the opposition MPs had a right to stage a walkout but declined to comment on it. He also explained the reason why he wrote to Wan Azizah this morning – before Parliament began – to reject the emergency motion in chambers. According to him, the opposition had filed their emergency motion for a resolution under Standing Orders 18 but that standing order only allows for debates. “It is not the proper standing order. SO 18(1) and (2) does not allow for vote of no-confidence to be carried out. It is like a person who had committed raped but was charged for murder. You cannot do that,” he said. He explained that the emergency motion requesting for a resolution which leads to voting should be filed under SO 27. Pandikar Amin also said that the debate on the security and leadership has already been discussed on June 23 during Shahrir’s emergency motion debate on the fuel price hike and the mid-term review of the 9th Malaysian Plan. “If I had allowed the motion, I will be seen as the most stupid Speaker in the world for allowing a motion filed under the wrong SO to be debated. “I will not allow them to drag the Speaker into their politics. I will let the people decide whether they were right to walk out and whether I was right in rejecting their motion,” he said.

Press Statement: Anwar Ibrahim

Press statement for immediate release
14th July 2008, Kuala Lumpur

Our client Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not appear at IPK KL today as reported in the press yesterday

On Saturday 12th July, AFTER our client has voluntarily agreed to present himself to IPK KL on Monday 14th July at 2 pm, the police in contravention of the voluntary agreement, went about harassing and intimidating his staff members and family members the next day, in attempting to serve an order under Sec 111 CPC. This was totally unnecessary given that we were all in an unconditional agreement, in advance, that our client will appear at IPK KL at 2pm today. Our client has duly protested the uncalled for behaviour of the police and have sent a letter indicating the same, to the police yesterday at 5 pm. Below is a copy of the same for your reference.

Sankara Nair
Counsel for Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim

__________________________________________________

Ruj. Tuan:
Ruj. Kami: SNN/DSAI/08 (Crim)
Tarikh    : 13-7-2008

Ybg DATUK MOHD BAKRI BIN MOHD ZININ
PENGARAH JABATAN SIASATAN JENAYAH
IBU PEJABAT POLIS DIRAJA MALAYSIA
BUKIT AMAN
50560 KUALA LUMPUR                    Faks: 03-22731326

Ybhg Datuk,

PER:    DATO’ SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM

Dengan segala hormatnya kami merujuk perkara di atas di mana kami mewakili penama di atas.

2.    Kami telah diarahkan bahawa lebih kurang pada lewat pagi 12-7-2008 (Sabtu) DSP Jude Pereira dari pejabat tuan telah menghubungi peguam kami Encik S N Nair meminta anakguam kami Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk menghadirkan dirinya ke IPK Kuala Lumpur pada 13-7-2008 (Ahad) untuk tujuan pengambilan keterangan.

3.    Peguam kami Encik S N Nair selepas berbincang dengan anakguam kami yang berada di Pulau Pinang telah memberitahu DSP Jude bahawa anakguam kami akan hadir pada 14-7-2008 (Isnin) jam 2.00 petang di IPK Kuala Lumpur dan oleh itu suatu persefahaman baik telah dicapai oleh kedua-dua pihak seperti yang dipersetujui dari awal.

4.    Tetapi, kami telah dimaklumkan oleh DSP Jude lebih kurang jam 9.30 malam pada 12-7-2008 (Sabtu) bahawa pihak polis telah pergi ke rumah anakguam kami di Segambut Dalam Kuala Lumpur dan telah cuba untuk menyerahkan suatu perintah di bawah s. 111 Kanun Acara Jenayah di bawah nama anakguam kami kepada salah seorang yang berada di rumah anakguam kami.

5.    Peguam kami Encik S N Nair membantah kepada DSP Jude bahawa ianya adalah suatu serahan yang tidak teratur dan tiada keperluan untuk mengeluarkan perintah tersebut kerana anakguam kami telah akujanji untuk hadir seperti persefahaman baik yang telah dipersetujui di perenggan 3 di atas.

6.    Walaupun perkara di perenggan 5 di atas telah diberitahu kepada pihak polis, kami telah dimaklumkan sekali lagi oleh anak kepada anakguam kami bahawa lebih kurang pada tengahari 13-7-2008 (Ahad) sepasukan pegawai polis telah pergi ke rumah anakguam kami di Segambut Dalam dan telah mengganggu (‘harrass’) dan telah menuntut keluarganya menerima penyerahan perintah tersebut walaupun telah diberitahu bahawa keluarganya tidak mempunyai kuasa untuk menerima perintah tersebut kerana perintah tersebut telah dialamatkan secara kediri anakguam kami. Sepasukan pihak polis tersebut juga telah enggan untuk meninggalkan rumah anakguam kami dan oleh itu telah menyebabkan keluarga anakguam kami berada di dalam ketakutan dan intimidasi yang mana secara keseluruhannya adalah tidak perlu.

7.    Berdasarkan kepada di atas, anakguam kami merasa terlalu kecewa dengan sikap tidak professional dan tindakan-tindakan intimidasi pihak polis walaupun telah mencapai persefahaman baik untuk bekerjasama sebelum ini.

8.    Anakguam kami sekarang ini ingin menyatakan bahawa kecuali pihak polis bertindak secara professional dan mematuhi persefahaman baik tersebut dan undang-undang, anakguam kami bersedia untuk bekerjasama dengan pihak polis.

9.    Walau apa pun, anakguam kami mengulangi kedudukan beliau bahawa anakguam kami bersedia untuk bekerjasama dengan pihak polis sekiranya pihak polis tidak mengganggu beliau atau mengintimidasi keluarganya dan tidak memungkiri persefahaman baik tersebut.

10.    Kami selaku peguambela anakguam kami akujanji akan mengemukakan anakguam kami sekiranya kesemua syarat di perenggan 9 di atas dipenuhi oleh pihak polis dan kami memohon agar suatu tarikh baru ditetapkan supaya anakguam kami boleh hadir ke IPK Kuala Lumpur untuk memberi keterangan di bawah keadaan yang tidak membahayakan mana-mana pihak. Di dalam keadaan intimidasi yang dilakukan oleh pihak polis seperti ini, anakguam kami tidak dapat menghadirkan ke IPK Kuala Lumpur pada 14-7-2008 sehingga keadaan intimidasi ini lenyap sama sekali. Anakguam kami ingin memaklumkan bahawa beliau pada hari Rabu 16-7-2008 akan hadir ke pejabat Agensi Anti-Rasuah untuk memberi keterangan.

11.    Sekali lagi kami mengulangi bahawa anakguam kami bersedia untuk bekerjasama dengan pihak polis tetapi tidak di dalam keadaan adanya intimidasi dan gangguan dari pihak polis.

Kami memohon agar pihak polis bertindak secara professional selaras dengan slogan baru Polis Diraja Malaysia.

Sekian, terima kasih.

Yang benar,
S N NAIR & PARTNERS

s.k.    anakguam

Menteri Kementerian Dalam Negeri, Malaysia
Putrajaya                    Faks: 03-88891713

Pagi yang disengajai tidak sempurna hari ini…

Ramai petugas dan pihak media tidak dapat masuk ke Parlimen seperti biasa hari ini. Keadaan jalanraya ke Parlimen sesak tiba-tiba dengan adanya road blocks yang menjadi satu-satunya penyebab traffic jams hari ini.

Kehairanan yang bertimpa-timpa bila ada di antara Ahli Parlimenpun belum dapat masuk ke Parlimen?

Apa dah jadi?

Laporan oleh Rozaini

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Police roadblocks cause gridlock in KL

Jul 14, 08 10:50am

Police roadblocks along major roads leading to Parliament have resulted in massive traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur this morning. MCPX The roadblocks are in anticipation of protests ahead of a possible debate of no confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today. The Pakatan Rakyat opposition, which gave notice for an urgent motion to debate Abdullah’s leadership last Friday, has however denied that it had called for a protest. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, along with party supporters, have earlier expressed their intention to go to Parliament to hear the no-confidence debate today. However, the police yesterday have obtained a court order barring Anwar from the vicinity of the Parliament today. The court order will allow the police to arrest on sight if Anwar and opposition supporters are spotted within five kilometres of Parliament. House speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia will decide today whether to allow the debate to go ahead. Reporters barred A number of journalists who have arrived in Parliament this morning were also stopped from entering the Parliament building. They include foreign reporters and those who work for international news agencies. Those barred are said to be without the official Information Ministry press accreditation. Police presence is heavy in and around the Parliament but no demonstrators are in sight. [More to follow]