Thursday, April 16, 2009

Perak Crisis: The Reasons behind Federal Court's Decision

Below was quoted from The Star Online today, however it is not sufficient as my reference to analyze what was really transpired in the submissions and the judgment by the court.

Court: Sivakumar has no power to suspend Zambry, excos (Update 3)
By M. MAGESWARI and CHAN LI LEEN

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court ruled Thursday that Perak Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar did not have the power to suspend Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and his six executive council members from the assembly.

The Court then lifted the suspension on Dr Zambry and his six executive council members and said the seven could attend the next assembly sitting.

Court of Appeal president Justice Alauddin Mohd Sheriff who chaired a five-man panel Thursday said that it was a unanimous decision that the Speaker’s decision to suspend the seven applicants was ultra vires (outside the law) and invalid.

The other judges were Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Arifin Zakaria and Federal Court judges Justices Nik Hashim Nik Ab. Rahman, S. Augustine Paul and Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin.

Justice Alauddin said the Bench would need to answer only two out of the six questions of law referred to the apex court for interpretation of Perak State Constitution and related law.

He said the answer was in the affirmative.

The two questions are whether, based on an interpretation of Article 44 of the Perak Constitution and all relevant laws, the Speaker’s decision to suspend the seven from attending the assembly was ultra vires and therefore, null and void.

Justice Alauddin said it is unnecessary to answer the remaining four questions.

The four questions covered, among others, whether charges against the seven was capable of constituting contempt against the assembly and whether the Speaker could call for an assembly of the House without a proclamation from the Ruler.

Justice Alauddin added that the Federal was exercising its power under Article 63 of the Perak Constitution to dispose the notice of motion at (Ipoh) High Court which is the originating summons.

The Bench did not order costs for any parties.

On Feb 18, Sivakumar, who headed the Committee of Special Privileges, suspended the seven and barred them from attending the assembly sittings for allegedly showing contempt for the House.

Dr Zambry was suspended for 18 months while his six excos were suspended for 12 months each.

Dr Zambry and the six had filed an originating summons at Ipoh High Court on March 2 seeking a declaration that the suspension order was illegal.

Outside the courtroom, lead counsel for the seven, Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin said they were delighted with the ruling.

“The apex court has given us the declaration as per in the originating summons. As far as we are concerned, this means that all cases in Perak have been finally disposed off,” he said.

Firoz said the ruling also meant that it was up to the Sultan of Perak to summon the sitting of the assembly.

“It is a landmark case, as never in Malaysian history has there been a direct case as to the relation to the court and the legislature.

“The rule of law is essential. It is important to preserve both the state and Federal Constitution,” said Firoz.

Co-counsel for the seven, Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun said: “We want constitutional order to be restored in Perak. Finally, by May 9 or 10, depending on the Sultan’s consent, to have the House sitting,” he said.

Lead counsel for Sivakumar, Sulaiman Abdullah said he had yet to receive instructions from his client whether to file for a review of the court ruling.

“We want to look into next course of action. However, until (former Perak MB) Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin’s judicial review application (to challenge the validity of the apppointment of his successor) is not settled at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, this case is still on,” he said, adding that the defence team wanted to study the grounds of judgment when it was available.

Asked what would happen when an assembly was called, Sulaiman said, “It is up to the Speaker. It is another exciting thing to look forward to!”

Meanwhile, in Ipoh, Dr Zambry said that the notice calling for state assembly would be issued Friday or next week.

p/s: All these infos must be conveyed to the people immediately to ensure them not to be influenced by the opposition that the court is controlled by the government. Let people understand the reasons why the Federal Court had arrived to the decision.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dari keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan bahawa EC (Suruhanja Pilihanraya) kompeten menentukan samada terdapat "casual vacancy" bermaksud (tersirat) keputusan EC adalah sah disisi undang2. Pun begitu, terpulang kepada Pakatan Rakyat untuk membuat "judicial review" itupun jika dilayan (with leave) mahkamah.

Perlu ingat bahawa mahkamah Persekutuan sudahpun memutuskan bahawa 3 ADUN tersebut kekal sebagai ADUN, maka bolehkah ada kekosongan kerusi DUN? Keputusan ini adalah estoppel by record terhadap Pakatan Rakyat.
Tambahan pula, kini penggantungan MB Dato Zambry dan EXCOnya tidak sah.

Isunya sekarang, apakah tindakan jenayah (pendakwaan) akan diambil terhadap beliau?

Bermakna masaalah besar akan menimpa Speaker kerana “pandai-pandai” menggantung mereka-mereka tersebut dengan menggunakan kuasa yang salah atau salah guna kuasa (apa bezanya –fikir sendiri).

Dibawah kanun Keseksaan (dibawah), jika sabit kesalahan, hukumannya (termasuk mereka2 yang bersekongkol juga) adalah berat;

121B. Offences against the authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Rulers or Yang di-Pertua Negeri.
Whoever compasses, imagines, invents or intends the deposition or deprivation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from the sovereignty of Malaysia or the deprivation or deposition of the Ruler, his heirs or successors, or of the Yang di-Pertua Negeri from the rule of a State, or the overawing by means of criminal force or the show of criminal force the Government of Malaysia or of any State, shall be punished with imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine.

121C. Abetting offences under section 121A or 121B.
Whoever abets the commission of any of the offences punishable by section 121A or 121B shall be punished with the punishment provided for the said offences.

124. Assaulting Member of Parliament, etc., with intent to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power.
Whoever, with the intention of inducing or compelling or attempting to induce or compel a member of Parliament or of any Legislative Assembly or of any State Executive Council to exercise or refrain from exercising in any manner the lawful powers of such member, assaults or wrongfully restrains, or attempts wrongfully to restrain, or overawes by means of criminal force, or the show of criminal force, or attempts so to overawe, such member shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.


http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Thursday/Mutakhir/20090416170917/Article/index_html

Khamis, 16 April 2009 , 20 Rabiulakhir 1430

Terima keputusan mahkamah dengan sebaiknya: Dr Zambry

LUMUT: Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, meminta pihak pembangkang di Perak dan penyokong mereka menerima dengan baik dan hati terbuka keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan hari ini membatalkan perintah penggantungan terhadapnya dan enam anggota exco negeri daripada menghadiri persidangan dewan undangan negeri (DUN).

Keputusan sebulat suara itu dibuat oleh panel lima anggota diketuai oleh Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan, Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff.

Mahkamah itu memutuskan bahawa perintah penggantungan itu selama 18 bulan ke atas Zambry dan 12 bulan ke atas anggota exco itu oleh Speaker negeri, V Sivakumar adalah melampaui perlembagaan negeri, oleh itu tidak sah dan batal.

Bercakap kepada pemberita di sini, Zambry berkata, keputusan mahkamah itu membolehkan beliau dan kesemua anggota exco berkenaan menjalankan tanggungjawab mereka dengan lebih dedikasi untuk rakyat dan negeri Perak.

Zambry bagaimanapun masih berteka-teki ketika ditanya mengenai tarikh persidangan DUN Perak yang akan datang.

Beliau setakat menyatakan bahawa persidangan itu akan diadakan dalam tempoh enam bulan selepas persidangan DUN lalu pada November lalu.

Menteri Besar itu tidak menolak kemungkinan notis untuk memanggil persidangan yang akan dibuka Sultan Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah itu akan dikeluarkan pada esok ataupun awal minggu depan.

Persidangan DUN kali ini perlu diadakan sebelum 13 Mei ini dan Speaker boleh memohon perkenan Sultan Perak untuk membubarkan DUN sekiranya persidangan tidak dilangsungkan menjelang tarikh berkenaan. - Bernama

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=404517

April 16, 2009 12:17 PM
Zambry Can Attend State Sitting, Suspension Order Lifted

PUTRAJAYA, April 16 (Bernama) -- After being suspended for almost two months, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six state executive councillors can now attend the state assembly sittings after the Federal Court today lifted the suspension order against them.
In a unanimous decision, the five-member panel led by Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff ruled that the suspension order of 18 months for Zambry and 12 months for the councillors made by state speaker V. Sivakumar was ultra vires the Perak state constitution and therefore, null and void.

Justice Alauddin also said that under Article 63 of the Perak Constitution, the court had the power to dispose of an originating summons filed by Zambry and the six councillors at the Ipoh High Court on March 2 with no order as to costs.

Alauddin, who sat with Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Arifin Zakaria and Datuk Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman, Datuk S. Augustine Paul and Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin, had adjourned the hearing for 45 minutes before coming to the decision.

Zambry and the six -- Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin, Datuk Ramly Zahari, Hamidah Osman, Datuk Saarani Mohamad, Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid and Dr Mah Hang Soon -- brought the case to the Federal Court under Article 44 of the Perak state constitution to seek a declaration that the suspension meted out on them by Sivakumar was null and void.

Prof Madya Dr Abdul Rani Bin Kamarudin
Pensyarah (Jabatan Undang2 Awam)
Kulliyah Undang2 IIUM

Anonymous said...

Persoalannya adakah tindakan sedemikian akan diambil oleh kerajaan, atau masih bersikap 'bacul' demi 'menjaga hati' penyokong Pakatan Rakyat, walau dengan jelas mereka telah melakukan kesalahan serius dan boleh dihukum.