As if the constitutional scandal of two menteris besar is not bad enough for Perak and Malaysia, opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang said there is now the 'scandalous spectacle' of two speakers and two assemblies.

najib announce new cabinet lineup 090409 06 This and the "disgraceful police lock-down of Ipoh", he said, has "shredded Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia into smithereens."

In a posting on his blog, he added: "It is unlikely that Najib will be able to live down the political baggage of having orchestrated the three-month constitutional and political crisis and stalemate."

He said the crisis had spawned two mentris besar, two speakers, two assemblies together with three renegade state assembly members and a renegade state assembly clerk.

The only way to rectify the situation, according to Lim, is for the premier to "act boldly to admit his colossal error and misjudgement."

Najib, he added, must agree to the dissolution of the Perak state assembly for the holding of a fresh state elections to return the mandate to Perakians.

Separation of powers violated

"For the sake of an unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab, Najib has brought important institutions of the country into greater disrepute, whether the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the judiciary and seriously impaired the vital doctrine of separation of powers.

anwar ibrahim sodomy allegation saiful bukhari azlan first day in court 070808 lim kit siang 01 "Perakians, Malaysians and the world today witness another unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab - the office and powers of the speaker when the Perak state assembly has not officially met," he said.

According to Lim, a total of 64 people have been arrested since this morning in Ipoh in relation to a protest against the sitting called by Barisan Nasional.

The police had obtained a court order barring people from gathering outside the state secretariat building.

Earlier today, MIC's R Ganesan was appointed by BN as the new Perak speaker during the chaotic sitting.

However, his Pakatan Rakyat counterpart V Sivakumar and opposition reps have refused to recognise the appointment.

Perak was enveloped in political turmoil after four Pakatan reps defected, with three, including deputy speaker Hee Yit Foong, becoming BN-friendly independents.

The February political coup was masterminded by Najib, who became the nation's sixth premier in April.

'Treats people with contempt'

In a related development, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail also noted that less than two months since assuming power, the premier has invalided his own '1 Malaysia' slogan.

bukit gantang by election wan azizah ceramah 020109 03 "It is very obvious now that the slogan is nothing more than a gimmick, and Najib treats the people with contempt," she said in a statement.

The opposition leader also lambasted BN Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir and Hee.

"What Zambry and Hee have done this morning is nothing less than an insidious conspiracy orchestrated by Najib to undermine democracy in Perak.

"The use of the courts and the police to meddle in the affairs of the legislature is a blatant breach of the doctrine of separation of powers recognised by every democratic government," she said in a statement.

Wan Azizah said today's proceedings in the Perak assembly was shameful and a new low in Malaysian politics.

She said the people of Perak chose their representatives in March 2008, but the Umno-BN government used unconstitutional means to overthrow a legitimate Pakatan Rakyat government.

"The people of Perak will, no doubt, hold Najib responsible for this dark episode in the history of the state," she added.