The political divide in Perak is as bitter as ever but Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir has tightened his hold on the state now that he has pushed through the Budget.
THE ironic thing about the drama-filled Perak Legislative Assembly sitting yesterday was that both the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat achieved their objectives in their own way.
The Barisan managed to hold on to the reins of government and push through the state budget while the Pakatan side succeeded in thumbing its nose at the Barisan side and the Speaker whom they still refuse to recognise.
Torn up: Sivakumar showing a remnant of his torn robe as Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (sitting right) and other Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen look on. The impasse has deepened even further and the political divide looks quite irreconcilable.
There were no real winners yesterday.
Although Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir got his Budget, the haste with which the session was adjourned and the insults that came from the other side somehow undermined the prestige of his administration and the dignity of the proceedings.
Dr Zambry was unflappable and his team behaved with utmost decorum but it still takes two to tango in style.
As for the Pakatan team, this is simply not the sort of behaviour expected of elected representatives.
Public opinion has favoured them in their quest for a snap state election. But governments formed on the strength of crossovers are not uncommon in a democracy; they have made their case loud and clear and they should now try to behave like YBs and fight another day.
There were so many things that happened yesterday which cast a pall over the state of politics in Perak.
There was the huge commotion as the 28 Pakatan assemblymen made their not so grand entrance into the grand hall about 20 minutes into the sitting.
They did not immediately take their seats but milled around the entrance loudly telling reporters about their troubles with security personnel outside.
And they had colourful stories to tell. Pantai Remis assemblyman Nga Kor Ming claimed his manhood had been literally assaulted whereas former Speaker V. Sivakumar was — also literally — defrocked.
In the clash between security personnel and DAP assemblymen, the ceremonial Speaker’s robe that he had on was ripped off and he was just left with a narrow gold-embroidered strip from the lapel of the robe.
The Barisan bench was well prepared for their opponents because the Speaker Datuk N. Ganesan quickly called for an hour-long recess.
During this time the Pakatan side carried on with their version of the sitting while the Barisan side sat back and chatted with one another.
However, no one left their seats for a coffee break. They were obviously afraid that the Pakatan side would grab their seats.
The Speaker, particularly, was glued to his seat perched on a high pedestal while security men formed a protective flank around him. He had no intention of experiencing what his predecessor had gone through.
Although the Pakatan assemblymen stayed on for a while after the session resumed, they spent most of the time heckling the other side before staging a walkout.
Pasir Pinji’s Thomas Su was the leader of the pack. His voice did not need a microphone to be heard throughout the hall.
Their main target was Ganesan because the political equation in the House changed the moment the Barisan put their own man in the chair.
Asked why they had come if they did not recognise the Speaker, former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin said: “This is the only platform for us to challenge the illegitimate Speaker.”
The Barisan side has been quick to stress that there was no such thing as a “dual assembly” yesterday.
Umno legal adviser Datuk Hafarizam Harun said that any motion tabled or passed during the one hour when the assembly was in recess was invalid.
”There is only one Speaker and when the session resumed after the recess, the 28 assemblymen (from Pakatan) stayed on and took part. In other words, they attended the session called by Ganesan,” he said.
Getting the Budget passed has strengthened Dr Zambry’s hand in the state whereas Pakatan’s campaign for a snap election grows more improbable by the day.
The people-oriented Budget was aimed at winning back the people’s faith in popular politics.
Pakatan will continue to question the legitimacy of his administration and he will have to put up with the confrontation at the legislative assembly once every six months.
He really wants to win back public opinion to his administration and that will remain his biggest challenge.
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