LIVE REPORTS

zambry file suit 020309 fru 6.05pm: Police roadblocks have been erected along the main road leading to the state secretariat in Ipoh. Four Federal Reserve Unit trucks are on standby behind the secretariat.

5.55pm: Zambry confirms that he has filed two suits against speaker Sivakumar.

The first was filed on the status of their undated resignation letters which Sivakumar had used to declare their seats vacant. This suit was filed on Friday.

The second suit was filed by Zambry and his six exco members today afternoon against their suspension order.

In the originating summons, Zambry and the exco members claimed that the 18 and 12 months suspensions imposed on him and the excos respectively by Sivakumar contravened the state constitution.

The plaintiffs also want the court to declare that they have the right to attend and take part in all proceedings of the state assembly and carry out the duties entrusted to them.

zambry file suit 020309 zambry pc 5.30pm: Zambry appears unaware of the circular on the closure of the state secretariat, saying that the document is for internal circulation only. He started his press conference at 5.30pm and it lasted for 15 minutes.

5.25pm: The Perak police chief has issued a warning to the public not to gather at the state secretariat tomorrow. State police chief Zulkifli Ahmad says that, according to the assembly secretary, the emergency sitting of the assembly tomorrow is not valid.

4.55pm: Mohd Hafarizam will serve the summons on speaker Sivakumar today.

zambry file suit 020309 mohd hafarizam 4.51pm: The High Court will hear Zambry's suits tomorrow at 9am. However, the Perak BN government's lawyer, Mohd Hafarizam Harun ( photo ), refuses to comment on the number of suits filed and the nature of the suits.

4.30pm: In an immediate reaction to the closure of the state secretariat tomorrow, senior DAP exco member Ngeh Koo Ham says all Pakatan state representatives will still attend the assembly.

"The House operates independently from the state secretariat," Ngeh tells reporters at the Ipoh High Court.

He also claims that the keys to the state assembly building had been forcibly taken away from the assembly secretary, saying this is tantamount to an act of contempt of the state assembly.

He warns that any attempt to stop the state assembly from sitting tomorrow would be viewed in contempt and that the penalty includes a jail term.

"I appeal to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to advise Zambry to seek the dissolution of the state assembly and prevent the impasse from continuing," he adds.

perak state assembly building closed on 3rd march 2009 notice 020309 4pm: A Perak government circular announces that the state secretariat will be closed tomorrow. It informs visitors that all appointments scheduled for tomorrow have been cancelled.

The state assembly is located in the second floor of the state secretariat and the closing of the premises is seen as a tactic to stop the convening of an emergency meeting by speaker Sivakumar at the assembly.

The circular is unsigned but carried the state government logo.

Zambry's press conference is now rescheduled to 5pm today. It was originally slated for 3pm, but was adjourned to 4pm.

3.45pm It is learnt that the Perak BN will be filing three legal suits:

  1. An injunction against the emergency meeting tomorrow;
  2. A summons against speaker V Sivakumar for abusing his position; and
  3. A suit to declare that the three seats belonging to the Independents are not vacant and that their undated resignation letters were null and void.

At 3.15pm , BN Menteri Besar Zambry and lawyers are supposed to go to Ipoh High Court to file a suit against speaker V Sivakumar.

zambry file suit 020309 supporters About 30 supporters as well as several Umno exco members are also there.

State DAP leader Ngeh Koo Ham and several Pakatan lawyers are also on standby to counter the BN suit in court.

3pm: It is learnt that two independent state representatives - Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Changkat Jering representative Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu - were seen at the state secretariat to meet Zambry.

Zambry is expected to hold a press conference at 4.30pm.

Earlier report:

Lawyers representing the Perak Barisan Nasional have served a legal summons on state assembly speaker V Sivakumar this morning, it was learnt today.

slim majority in perak update 040209 The summons indicated an intention by the BN Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir to seek an injunction to stop the emergency sitting of the state assembly tomorrow.

The hearing is expected to take place at the Ipoh High Court this afternoon.

At the same time, BN exco member Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid has served notice to refer Sivakumar to the state assembly's rights and privileges committee.

The notice was served to Sivakumar's political secretary at 11am.

Sivakumar is accused of abusing his power and committing contempt in showing disloyalty to the Sultan of Perak.

Powerful committee chaired by speaker

Zahir later told reporters that Sivakumar was referred to the committee over his suspension of Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six exco members.

perak constitution section 72 subsection 1 standing orders of the legislative assembly

"We regard this (the suspension) as being contrary to the Perak constitution and in violation and contempt of the order of the Sultan of Perak.

"We, as the state assemblyperson including the speaker, must state our undivided loyalty to the Sultan of Perak," he told reporters after serving the notice.

The rights and privileges committee, at its meeting last month, resolved to suspend the new Perak MB and his entire cabinet.

According to the state assembly Standing Order 72(1), the speaker is the chair of the powerful committee.

Sivakumar has called for an emergency assembly sitting tomorrow but had not sent out notices of the meeting to Zambry and his exco members.

Invitations were also not given to the three former Pakatan representatives who are now "BN-friendly" Independents.

Let's wait and see

When contacted for comment, Sivakumar said he had not seen any summons supposedly served on him.

"Yes I've heard about it through SMSes and all, but I don't know for sure. Let them do it. Let's wait and see," he added.

Sivakumar also said that he is acting within the law and that he is busy preparing for tomorrow's emergency session of the state assembly.

He is determined to chair the meeting.

[More to follow]