Perak Pakatan Rakyat's Rights and Privileges Committee has recommended that Barisan Nasional-appointed speaker S Ganesan is jailed for six months for illegally assuming the post of the speaker during an assembly sitting on May 7.

penanti by election pakatan leaders ceramah sivakumar nik aziz anwar tian chua 280509 04 The committee, headed by Pakatan's speaker V Sivakumar, further recommended that Ganesan is also fined RM500,000, or six-months jail in default.

The punishment should be meted out before the dissolution of the assembly, added the six-member committee which was once again forced to sit in a hotel after being turned away from the state secretariat.

"Effective today, Ganesan must not act as the speaker and must vacate the assembly speaker's office that he is occupying now. He must also surrender the speaker's official car.

"He is also not allowed to enter the assembly building at all times," said Sivakumar.

Sivakumar also added that he as the rightful speaker can order the police to issue a warrant of arrest against Ganesan but "we are not going to this extreme measure and will let the assembly decide on his fate".

He also said that the committee had to take a decision without hearing Ganesan's defence as he had failed to appear before the committee despite being ordered to do so on two occasions.

Ganesan was summoned by the committee to explain his appointment as the speaker while Sivakumar was still the legitimate speaker of the assembly. Ganesan had assumed the post in a riotous assembly sitting on May 7.

NONE The committee's planned meeting at the state secretariat today was once again barred by the police who prevented Sivakumar and the committee members from entering the state secretariat.

After a long standoff at the main entrance of the state secretariat, Sivakumar and his committee adjourned to a nearby hotel to deliberate on the fate of Ganesan for almost an hour.

They were similarly barred from holding a meeting at the state secretariat on Monday and then too the committee had adjourned to the hotel for the meeting.

Committee not recognised

r ganesan 130509 When contacted, Ganesan repeated that he does not recognise the meeting or its chairperson Sivakumar.

"Whatever Sivakumar and his committee decided today is not binding on me as he has no locus standi to convene the meeting.

"He has been removed from office (as assembly speaker) at the May 7 assembly sitting and he is no more the speaker. He is no more the chairperson of the (Rights and Privileges) committee."

"A new committee has been formed on that day (May 7) and now I am the chairperson of it," he added.