Perak Assembly: Don't let law of the jungle rule, says Najib

Perak Assembly: Don't let law of the jungle rule, says Najib

Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor looking at an exhibit in ‘A Decade of Dedication’ exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum yesterday. With them is museum assistant curator Adline Abdul Ghani (left).

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must not descend into a disorderly state where the law of the jungle rules, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday.

He expressed regret and disappointment over the pandemonium which marred Thursday's Perak state assembly seating, saying lawlessness would tarnish the country's image as a mature democracy.

Najib said the commotion, marked by abusive exchanges, scuffles, flared tempers, pushing and shoving, should not have occurred.

Instead, he said, both backbenchers and opposition members should have shown the world that Malaysia practised democracy based on a respect for the rule of law and maintaining decorum.

"Even though we do not like certain things, we cannot press on with our stand until it means denying the rights of other people. Everyone has rights, and this includes the government and the opposition.
"The reason we have rules and regulations is to ensure that the democratic system in Malaysia works smoothly. If we don't respect this or the rule of law, it will lead to a situation akin to the law of the jungle," Najib said after launching the "A Decade of Dedication" exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum yesterday.

Present were Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and Albukhary Foundation chairman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary.

On the forced removal of former speaker V. Sivakumar, Najib said Sivakumar should vacate his seat as he was no longer the speaker.

Asked whether Thursday's fracas was a tactic adopted by the opposition to force a state election, Najib said only the sultan had the prerogative to call for an election.

"It is the sultan's prerogative whether there is a election or not. You can't force it.

"If the sultan feels there is no need to dissolve the assembly as the current government can serve the people, then there is no need for an election."

Najib pointed out that the Pas government in Kelantan previously survived with a one-seat majority compared with Barisan Nasional's current three seats in Perak, which enabled them to administer the state.

On the opposition's contention that the BN takeover of the state government was unconstitutional as it managed to woo three former opposition members to become BN-friendly independents, Najib said party-hopping was a common occurrence in a parliamentary democracy system.

"(Former British prime minister Sir) Winston Churchill had switched party before and recently in America, a Republican senator crossed over to be a Democrat.

"This (party-hopping) is not wrong, it is not illegal or unconstitutional," Najib said, adding that previously there were efforts by the opposition to woo BN members of parliament to jump as well. NST