Emergency Sitting Is Lawful, Say Lawyers
Sunday, 01 March 2009 20:42
(Bernama) -- An emergency sitting called by Perak Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar on March 3, to table two motions on the takeover of the state government is lawful.
His lawyer, Chan Kok Keong, said it was done in accordance to the state constitution and standing orders of the State Legislative Assembly.
Chan said the view was also shared by constitutional lawyer Tommy Thomas whose opinion is that the Speaker was lawfully empowered to convene the Legislative Assembly on March 3, since the last meeting of the assembly in November, last year, was adjourned sine die and was not prorogued.
"If it was prorogued, only the Sultan of Perak can summon the Assembly," he told reporters at a press conference in his office here today.
Earlier today, Perak State Assembly Secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri, in a statement, said Sivakumar's move to call for the emergency sitting of the assembly was not legal.
He said this was because it had not received the consent from the Sultan of Perak, in accordance with the standing orders of the assembly and the state constitution.
http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/18688/84/
(Bernama) -- An emergency sitting called by Perak Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar on March 3, to table two motions on the takeover of the state government is lawful.
His lawyer, Chan Kok Keong, said it was done in accordance to the state constitution and standing orders of the State Legislative Assembly.
Chan said the view was also shared by constitutional lawyer Tommy Thomas whose opinion is that the Speaker was lawfully empowered to convene the Legislative Assembly on March 3, since the last meeting of the assembly in November, last year, was adjourned sine die and was not prorogued.
"If it was prorogued, only the Sultan of Perak can summon the Assembly," he told reporters at a press conference in his office here today.
Earlier today, Perak State Assembly Secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri, in a statement, said Sivakumar's move to call for the emergency sitting of the assembly was not legal.
He said this was because it had not received the consent from the Sultan of Perak, in accordance with the standing orders of the assembly and the state constitution.
http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/18688/84/
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