Nizar unfazed over Feb 9 decision

IPOH, Jan 25 — Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin said today he was not anticipating a positive result ahead of the Federal Court’s decision on February 9 over his appeal to be declared the rightful Mentri Besar of Perak.

The ousted state chief was nonchalant when he told The Malaysian Insider today that he felt the entire exercise in the courts was pointless and merely “academic”.

He maintained that no matter what the Federal Court decides, the Perak crisis would never be solved until the state legislative assembly was dissolved.

“So no, I am not waiting anxiously to see what the court has to say because the decision of who should govern the state is not the prerogative of the judiciary; it is the people’s choice,” he said.

The Bukit Gantang MP however hinted that he and his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) friends were already prepared for the decision to swing in favour of his arch-rival, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir. “In fact, it would be totally mystical and mysterious of the decision goes in our favour because it has already been delayed for months,” he said.

He added that the fact that it had taken the court about three long months to deliver their decision had given a negative perception on the impartiality of the judicial system.

He added that the best solution would be for Zambry to approach the palace and seek for a dissolution from the Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah even before Feb 9 arrives.

“I mean, how long does he plan to prolong this crisis? Because the state has to move on and in order to do so, there will be a need for state assembly sittings.

“Until and unless the assembly is dissolved, these sittings will be just as chaotic as the previous ones,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nizar said he was focussing his strengths on serving the people and reminding them of what he has described as the Barisan Nasional’s coup de tat on Feb 6 last year.

He added that the PR’s “Remember One Black Perak” campaign to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the power grab was now in full swing.

“We have received good response from the rakyat and in many places that we go, the people are coming out in droves to listen to what we have to say,” he said.

The PR secretariat is expected to release its itinerary for the campaign by tomorrow.

The campaign is expected to include nightly ceramahs running at simultaneous venues across the state until Feb 6.

Beng Hock’s family files motion to cite MACC officer for contempt

SHAH ALAM: The elder brother of the late Teoh Beng Hock, Teoh Meng Kee, on Tuesday filed a notice of motion to commit a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer, Raub Ghani, for contempt of court.

Meng Kee filed the motion through Messrs Karpal Singh & Company at the Magistrate’s Court registrar here.

In his affidavit, Meng Kee, 34, said that on Jan 1, Raub, of MACC Putrajaya’s investigation division, lodged a police report at the Shah Alam police headquarters against Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, a witness in the inquest into the death of Beng Hock.

Raub, in his report, had said that he suspected that Pornthip had leaked the information on the forensic report to unauthorised people.

Met at the court’s lobby, lawyer Karpal Singh said the family was asking an order for Raub to be held in contempt of court for the report.

”We are asking the coroner’s court to invoke its power to punish Raub for contempt of court or to show cause as to why he shouldn’t be held in contempt of court,” he said.

Karpal said Dr Pornthip should be allowed to give evidence without fear.

”We call upon her to come and not to bow to any threat,” he said. The inquest into the death of Beng Hock will resume on Thursday. -- Bernama