By LISA GOH
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin denied in a High Court that he requested for the Perak state assembly to be dissolved because he had lost the confidence of the majority of the assemblymen.
The former Perak Mentri Besar, who took the stand for the first time in his case against his successor Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, also denied that he had refused to resign after the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah rejected his request to dissolve the assembly.
On Feb 13, Nizar filed an application seeking a declaration that he is the rightful Mentri Besar, and an injunction to bar Dr Zambry from discharging his duties as MB.
Cross-examined by Datuk Cecil Abraham, lead counsel for Dr Zambry, Nizar said he was “not aware” of several key issues leading to the political fiasco in the state following the resignation of PKR assemblymen Mohd Osman Jailu (Chang-kat Jering), Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and DAP assemblyman Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang).
Nizar said he did not know the three assemblymen had retracted their resignation letters before meeting the Sultan, adding that the Spea-ker had not informed him about it.
Abraham: You were kept in a state of blissful ignorance of the retraction of the resignation? You were not informed of their withdrawal?
Nizar: I was not informed of these two only. Abraham then pressed him, asking if the Speaker had not done his duty of keeping him up to date, to which he replied: “Yes.”
Abraham: You must have a very inefficient Speaker. Would you regard your Speaker as an efficient person, or inefficient person?
Nizar: (After a long pause) That question is irrelevant.
Abraham: Whether or not the question is relevant is for the judge to decide. Answer the question.
When Nizar repeated that the question was irrelevant, Abraham said: “Never mind.”
Asked how many assemblymen Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat had in the state when he met the Sultan on Feb 4, Nizar replied that both (Barisan and Pakatan) had 28 assemblymen each. He also said he did not know which party the three assemblymen were supporting.
When Abraham pointed out that if the three were to be added to Barisan’s number after they left Pakatan and the coalition would have 31 assemblymen, Nizar said: I disagree. Barisan only had 28.
“The other three were not reachable.”
Abraham: I put it to you that you were already aware that you had lost the majority in the assembly, and Pakatan Rakyat was already a minority in the House.
Nizar: I deny that, My Lord.
He and Perak Legal Adviser Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid both took the stand before High Court judge Justice Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim to be cross-examined over their affidavits which they had filed earlier.
Nizar had insisted that there were contradicting and disputing facts between the two documents.
The hearing continues today.
(Source: The Star Online)
No comments:
Post a Comment