MACC officers question Sivakumar - Star

Feb 26, 2009 By CHRISTINA KOH

IPOH: Perak Speaker V. Sivakumar was again questioned over reports lodged against his decision to suspend Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six exco members.

This time, two Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers spent two and a half hours interviewing him at the Mentri Besar’s official residence here yesterday.

Sivakumar underwent similar questioning by four police officers at lawyer Chan Kok Keong’s office here on Monday.

Expressing disappointment, Sivakumar said the questioning was a harassment to him and an insult to the state legislative assembly.

“I don’t think this has ever happened in a Commonwealth country, where a Speaker makes a decision but certain quarters use means like this to investigate the Speaker.

“This should not have happened,” he told a press conference after commission officers left about 9pm.

Sivakumar said this would set a “dangerous precedent” as it meant other legislative speakers could also be questioned for their decisions.

He reiterated that the law gave absolute immunity to all assembly members from any civil or criminal proceedings for matters within the state assembly.

On the MACC reports lodged against him, Sivakumar declined to comment as the investigation was under way.

To a question, Sivakumar said he had yet to receive a reply to his recent request to the Sultan of Perak to convene a special sitting of the assembly.

Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, a former state senior exco member, described the multiple questioning as an assault on the country’s democratic process.