All Pakatan Rakyat assemblypersons will have a brain-storming meeting at the Perak state PAS headquarters tonight to decide whether to attend the assembly sitting to debate on the state budget for 2010, called by BN on Oct 28.

dap abolish isa forum 230908 a sivanesan DAP Sungkai assemblyperson A Sivanesan (left) told Malaysiakini this evening that he received today his letter signed by BN assembly secretary Zambry Mohd Ramly dated Oct 12 to attend the sitting.

According to Standing Order 8 (1) of the Perak State Legislative Assembly, at least 14 days advance written notice must be given before each sitting to every member, by the assembly secretary.

Sivanesan said, "I have also received instructions to give my oral and written question motions for the assembly sitting before Oct 14."

"How can this be possible with a one-day notice (as the letter was received today)? Besides all the Pakatan members are carrying out preparations for the Deepavali celebration this Saturday and do not have the time to prepare the questions at such short notice."

"The so-called BN speaker Ganesan, being a Hindu, should know better than to call for the sitting at such short notice especially during this festive season," he said.

Sivanesan said that there will be two Pakatan meetings tonight - the first at 8.30pm whereby top leaders of the Pakatan coalition will meet to decide on three agendas:

1. Whether to attend the BN call for the budget sitting.

2. Whether to summit the oral and written questions to the assembly at such short notice.

3. To select a Pakatan name for the post of senator. (Perak has been given two senators posts. One has been already occupied by BN senator Azian Osman whose term of office had ended on Aug 22 this year. Azian is expected to be re-nominated for a second term during this budget sitting.)

"Later in the night, all the 27 Pakatan assemblypersons will attend another meeting whereby the three proposals will be put forward to them to decide," he explained.

Both meetings are closed-door affairs which are expected to end late at night and are not open to the press.

Nizar to chair meeting

However, Sivanesan said, "We will have a press conference at DAP headquarters tomorrow at 11am to brief the press on the Pakatan closed-door meetings."

Among the Pakatan leaders that will attend the first meeting are three DAP members - Pantai Remis assemblyperson Nga Kor Ming, ousted speaker Sivakumar and Sivanesan.

According to PKR deputy state chief Chang Lih Kang, the four PKR representatives are state chief Osman Abdul Rahman, PKR Gopeng MP Dr Lee Boon Chye, Kuala Kurau assemblyperson Abdul Yunus Jamahri and Chang.

bagan pinang by election 061009 nizar speech The meeting is expected to be chaired by ousted Pakatan menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (right) .

Earlier in the afternoon, when met at the Ipoh Session Court, the two former PKR assemblymen - Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu - who declared themselves as independents, said they have not received the budget notices yet but will attend the sitting if invited.

When asked about speculation that both of them want to return to Pakatan as BN had not lived up to their expectations, they said that they would remain as independents for the time being.

Jamaluddin and Osman are facing corruption charges and were in court today to attend to their court hearing.