Perak secretary, Ipoh OCPD fail to turn up for hearing - Star

May 5, 2009 By CHAN LI LEEN

IPOH: The Perak state secretary failed to show up at a Rights and Special Privileges Committee hearing to explain why assemblymen were prevented from entering the State Secretariat building on March 3.

State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar said Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim did not show up to explain why the gate to the building had been closed that day, leading to the “under the tree sitting,” as directed to do so Tuesday afternoon.

”Instead, a letter explaining his absence was sent to my office.

”The state secretary claimed that there is not enough time to do so as he had only received the notice on Monday,” Sivakumar told reporters after chairing the meeting at his office Tuesday.

Sivakumar said Ipoh OCPD Asst Comm Azisman Alias, who was also instructed to face the committee, had sent a similar letter to explain his absence.

“But what strikes me as strange is that both their letters had been worded exactly the same way.

“Each word had been cut and pasted,” Sivakumar said, adding that only former senior executive council member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham had turned up to give evidence.

Sivakumar said that Dr Abdul Rahman and ACP Azisman in their letters had accused him of going against the Standing Orders.

“I am not pleased at all and do not understand their accusations as Order 72(2) of the Standing Orders clearly states that I can get the committee to convene whenever I receive a complaint,” he said.

According to Sivakumar, he had received the complaint over the matter from Titi Serong assemblyman Dr Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah on April 30.

“I found it to be a prima facie case and wanted to deal with it and present a report during Thursday’s state assembly sitting.

“It is the responsibility of a Speaker to investigate and present his findings to the Assembly,” Sivakumar said.

In view of the present circumstances, he said Dr Abdul Rahman and ACP Azisman would be called to give their evidence at a later date after the state assembly had been adjourned.

Relating what he had told the committee, Ngeh said he had been informed by ACP Azisman of his instructions to obstruct and prevent assemblymen from entering the state secretariat building on the morning of March 3.

“I then asked him to phone Dr Abdul Rahman to confirm this, which he did.

“ACP Azizman then announced it out loudly,” said Ngeh.