Perak Pakatan Rakyat has dubbed state secretary Abdul Rahman Hashim the de facto menteri besar because he “infringes on the administration of the legislative assembly”.

In making the allegation, ousted its menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin alleged that Rahman has overstepped his jurisdiction, thereby contravening the doctrine of separation of powers.

Nizar said Pakatan-appointed speaker V Sivakumar has the “sole right” to handle the administration of the state assembly.

bagan pinang by election 061009 nizar speech “Even when I was the menteri besar during our 10-month rule of Perak, I did not interfere in or influence the assembly sittings,” Nizar said at a dinner organised by Pakatan in Ipoh.

“Now a civil servant who is supposed to work under the administration of the (Barisan Nasional) menteri besar is trying to play the role of his master ( Zambry Abd Kadir) in calling the shots in the state assembly.”

He alleged that Rahman is the real power behind Zambry and BN-appointed speaker R Ganesan in directing the course of assembly sittings, and that this had led to problems for Pakatan when it called the May 7 and Sept 2 sittings.

abdul rahman hashim perak state secretary “Rahman (left) acted beyond his powers by calling the police force to suppress the democratic rights of the Pakatan assemblypersons and arrest them when they tried to enter the state secretariat to carry on with their duties,” said Nizar.

“He is now the BN de facto menteri besar as he is trying to throw his weight around the state secretariat.”

Allegation dismissed

dr zambry abd kadir perak new cm bn 050209 Rahman declined to comment when contacted, saying he would have to consult Zambry (right) first.

Ganesan later responded, asking caustically: “When Nizar was the menteri besar, was his state secretary (Rahman) the de facto menteri besar?”

In his speech, Nizar also said the 28 Pakatan politicians have been ordered to report to the state assembly sitting on Wednesday at exactly 10am.

“The specified time means that they want to take control of the House first before allowing us inside the assembly,” he claimed.

NONE However Ganesan denied the allegation, saying that the assembly will only proceed at 10am and that all the elected representatives will enter the House at the same time.

As to Nizar’s claim that there is a 500m-radius restriction order around the state secretariat building for the three-day sitting, Ganesan said the matter is under police jurisdiction.

Police assurance sought

Meanwhile Pakatan Backbenchers' Club chairperson Khalil Idham Lim was quoted in Bernama as saying that the Pakatan reps might not attend the state assembly sitting on Wednesday if the police fail to give an assurance on their safety.

Khalil said the decision, however, would be finalised by the state opposition leadership.

"We aim to attend the sitting...we will leave it to the leadership to decide otherwise," he told a press conference at the Perak PAS headquarters in Ipoh today.

Yesterday, Perak PAS commissioner Abu Bakar Hussain said the opposition assemblypersons would lodge a report to ask the police to ensure their safety before and during the sitting.

Perak police chief Zulkefli Abdullah, when contacted, said the police would ensure the safety of Barisan Nasional and opposition assemblypersons during the sitting.