Raintree Perak Assembly – Najib’s crisis of legitimacy as 6th PM

The historic “raintree Perak State Assembly” in Ipoh yesterday has captured the imagination of Malaysians longing for democracy and political change after the political tsunami in the 12th general election almost a year ago last March.

It has entered the folklore of the human struggle for democracy, freedom, justice and solidarity, not only in Perak and Malaysia, but of mankind itself.

This is why the “raintree Perak State Assembly” has had such en empowering, uplifting and even liberating effect on Malaysians, who have had enough of the sham and hypocrisy of Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders who had claimed that they had heard and understood, loud and clear, the message of the Malaysian electorate in the March 8, 2008 general election, that they would be leaders for all Malaysians and not just for any one race or group, even proclaiming the slogan of “Reform or Perish”!

It is a national tragedy that at a time when Malaysians should be united as one people, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, to face the worst global economic crisis in 80 years, the country’s sixth Prime Minister who is to assume the mantle of national leadership is more pre-occupied with Machiavellian political chicanery as to orchestrate the illegal, unethical and unconstitutional power grab in Perak, immediately plunging the country into a new national crisis of confidence.

It is sad that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah appears to be the lone voice in Umno and Barisan Nasional when he warned of the dire consequences of the Perak power grab setting off “a chain-reaction of illegality” –

“One lie leads to many lies. Each bad action leads to a cascade of follies. Particularly when the lie or violation concerns something very basic. ..

“With each violation the sense of decency and restraint and the habits that bind us to the Constitution are loosened. The confidence in the rule of law that makes civilized life possible is diminished.”

The fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, plunged the country into a full-scale national crisis of confidence, attacking the doctrine of separation of powers among the executive, legislature and judiciary, in his sixth year as Prime Minister.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak has unleashed an even more relentless and wider attack of the doctrine of separation of powers two months before he became the sixth Prime Minister.

The “raintree Perak State Assembly” has transformed Najib’s illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak into his personal crisis of legitimacy as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

48 Replies to “Raintree Perak Assembly – Najib’s crisis of legitimacy as 6th PM”

  1. Dear All,

    The “World Is Watching”, proclaims a banner held by a gentleman while the historical raintree state assembly was in progress. Yes, indeed the world is watching every step that Malaysia takes. However, one must also be reminded the same world watched the event where Dr. Mahathir punched himself through the Constitutional by sacking several judges who opposed him in 1988. Right up to today, Dr. Mahathir felt he was right and done his job and probably will do the same thing again, if given the choice. The world watched with interests but has the world forgotten? This is something which we may want to sincerely ask ourselves. Will the world remember the Perak Constitutional crisis in the next 10 years?

    Certainly the Sultan would have watched his state assembly convened under the raintree on TV. Will he change his mind? Will he meet the same man whom he had sacked or dismissed barely 5 weeks ago? Will he be magnanimous enough to return the power to the rakyat to decide which government to rule them? Or will he or the Regent issue a few innuendos in well written speeches to denounce the current development in his state?

    The question is why Perakians are made to go through all this when a simple dissolution of the assembly will solve the deadlock?

  2. Dear All,

    It may be true to assume that people’s memory are short, especially when one gets caught up with the prospect of making big bucks. But in the current environment where there are more receivers or rather “beggars” than givers, one would safely assume that investors would prefer to go to countries where there are political stability. The Ringgit is fast plunging to above RM3.80 to a USD and the comment from the Bank Negara governor is that the movement demonstrates the strength of the USD. This was her observation but I certainly believe the majority of Malaysians today do not think the same that Dr. Mahathir prescribed for Malaysia during his rule will work in today’s environement.

    Indeed when it is so obvious that the judiciary is not independent despite the many claims that they are now. And is in fact the judiciary is subservient to the executive that it makes one wonder about the future of one’s life in Malaysia.

    Haven’t any of you thought along this line?

  3. UMNO is hiding behind the skirt of the SULTAN.As i remember if any motion passed by the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT or the STATE GOVERNMENT have to be pass by the sultan.If its not done by seven days .The order is deem passed by the GOVERNMENT.
    This was pass in PARLIAMENT by TDM in the early nineties.It was TDM and the UMNO led BN GOVERNMENT that had showed disrespect to the ROYALTIES.Let,s get real it was TDM and the UMNO led GOVERNMENT that allowed a bank to take late ruler of NEGERI SEMBILAN TO COURT.

  4. We will never forget them…

    -Najis C4 Sukoi Eurocopter submarrine bin Razak
    -3 ugly jumping (suddenly) big fat toads
    -Zambabi and gengs
    -Msia Judiaciary bin BeEnd
    -Malaysian agency of Car & Cows MACC
    -Police that always thirsty for Teh Tarik

  5. YB

    It was like a WWF wrestling match.

    The Secretariat went wild, the Riot Police watched as the thugs prevented REPS OF THE PEOPLE from going in for meeting, the courts heard in private, while Sivakumar was represented by Legal Advisors that was not requested, the Sultan buat tak tau.

    BN ! BN!

  6. Its a landslide wins for the PR in the coming by-elections. RAKYAT are fed up. The silver state is gradually becoming the rotten EGG.
    Sooner or later there will be more power grabbings in other PR states. The only solution is in the hands of HRH of Perak calling for a fresh election. Let the people choose their legitimate government.
    We want peace in Perak and not DOG fightings. We’ll accept whoever wins the fresh elelction. Perak sultan is the most educated and highly intellectual Sultan in Malaysia. God willing he’ll come with a good solution.

  7. Does anyone know that two stones were thrown by the UMNO supporters which were supposed to target YB Ngeh during the raintree assembly but missed and one of it landed into a car. The car’s poor owner has to dig out from his/her own pocket to replace the broken windscreen.

    So, is there any action taken against the umno supporters? why did the police force wanted to detain those who merely hurl abuse at them but never harm anyone?

    Malaysians, it is true that the country is ruled by UMNO’s cronies and the mata force. UMNO is digging their grave fast and furious.

  8. YB Lim,

    Treachery, sheer wickedness..is this how it was during the feudalistic days?

    No wonder many more brains are leaving the country cos there just isn’t any future for the young ones.

    Raintree assembly? Yes the righteous cannot be ‘uprooted’ but the wicked will never be established – by devious means.

  9. Can some one answer these questions.
    1. If Zambry (the illegal MB) can be represented by lawyers who are not from the state legal adviser’s office why should the judge insist that Siva cannot be represented by his personal lawyers?
    2. Why must the judge be in such a hurry to dispose of the suit within the same day. Suit filed in the morning and disposed of in the evening?
    3. Why was Siva not given the time to prepare his ‘defense’ to the claims made by Zambry?
    4. Was the judge that ignorant of the law that he had no jurisdiction to hear the case and idiotic to make a decision to bar the Speaker?

    Can anyone deny that this judge is clearly biased and more than enthusiastic to please UMNO?

  10. Dear DAP man

    The answer is simple. Judges are appointed by the Federal Govt. which is BN. If they are not biased, who else is?

    Malaysia Boleh, anything also boleh. Laws can be made within a short period. It can be changed too within the short time (to suit to their own wants/needs). You know, this is called Barbarian government, anything also boleh.

    I hope you have found the answer here :O

  11. The police want to please UMNO. The judges want to please UMNO. The MACC Commissioner wants to please UMNO. The AG wants to please UMNO. The deafening silence from Perak royalty makes me wonder if they also want to please UMNO.

  12. By now Pakatan leaders should understand that they still remain endangered species in a world of vicious hunters, who recently rediscovered that their only way to secure power is to brow beat everyone back to stone age by instituting Mahathirism again, including eventually killing off some semblance of free press/blog and hopefully with Malaysians’ reknowned short memory everything will be forgotten by the next general elections and the people, like beaten wives, will go back to BN their husband.

    Najib seems to have brought out the worst of human character in this team he leads. Gerakan and MCA for once has coordinated themselves and launched an attack on Guan Eng for appointing someone with poor English to lead a campaign in Australia. I don’t know the background, but I think LGE should be quick to say some of the following things:
    1) if it’s true he screwed up, he’ll be replaced – but since when did MCA/Gerakan act based on letters/blog?
    2) even if he screwed up, at least he’s not corrupt
    3) BN does not have competent leaders – just look at Khir Toyo and see how he screws up not reporting all his taxes – so don’t go and try to capture the high moral ground, Malaysians are not stupid

    That said, we have 3 by-elections coming up. Of course it’s done on purpose so that the leaders for Pakatan will be stretched all over the place. It’s not just a moment to bolster Pakatan’s gain after various by-elections – but to also watch out for BN as they may use this period when Pakatan is stretched to launch another counterstrike – perhaps in Kedah, or Selangor?

    It’s also time for us ordinary folks to do something extra – to volunteer, to donate, to pass the news around. You may have some friends from the two Bukits, or Batang Ai – or they may know someone from there. Spread the news. Awaken them. Print out articles from Malaysiakini, Malaysia Today, Rocket and other alternate media streams – and spread it around. Awareness is key to winning the seats.

  13. For the benefit of young voters….all seems to know what type of character Mahathir has….but what about Najib?
    I will try to be brief….
    1.Became the youngest minister….due the death of father.
    2.Voted in as UMNO Youth Chief.
    3. Mahathir and Tunku Razaleigh are in loggerheads..quarreling…..and both stood for UMNO Presidency.
    4. Najib promised to throw in youth votes…amounting to 4 votes…supporting Razaleigh.
    5.Last moment…gave votes to Mahathir. Razaleigh lost by 2 majority.
    6.Najib became the adopted son of Mahathir….and did little work……with no fear..as Mahathir established himself… a Dictator.
    7.Enjoying life….under Mahathr….
    8. Highland Tower tragedy….. Musa Hitam son died in the tragedy.
    9.For 22 years..under Mahathir a PM…Najib was again appointed as DPM…when M left. Mahathir thought…he has Dollah and Najib…the two most useless low IQ ministers…as his puppets…with him …still ruling the PM show at the back.
    10. Abdullah confronted Mahathir. Najib shocked Mahathir….teaming up with Abdullah.
    11. There you see….Najib can even play out…a god father…whom he supported for 22 years. Retire….he throws Mahathir out!!
    12.Tunku Razaleigh never wish to get close to NAJIB…for past 35 years. So …if anyone have doubts on my points…4 and 5…THINK.
    13. …he sworn by the Koran..to avoid going to court on the Mongolian murder case.
    14. Exercising his power as PM in waiting……just look at all those cross overs…

  14. Regretfully Razaliegh is a lone voice in UMNO. He speaks sense but unfortunately his words don’t carry any weight within his party. He should be leading UMNO and the country would be in a better shape.

  15. DAP man says:

    “Can someone answer these questions”

    Here are the answers to your 4 questions.
    (1) Zambry is UNMO man
    (2)The Judge is UNMO man
    (3)Siva is PR man
    (4)The Speaker is PR man

    DAP man, what is my score?

  16. Greetings!

    Raintree, Oh… Raintree, it sheltered me from “sun shine & rain” and accompanies me for my first twenty years lived in Taiping in which I grow as a boy and became a man now.

    We will not afraid to jog and walk under those raintree in the Taiping lake garden even at night which I recalled from my memory from the old days. But today, it has completely changed and I don’t think Taiping folks are brave enough to walk and relax down under your arm just like that. Thus, peoples (Rakyat) realized and known what’s going wrong!

    Perhaps with this incident, it triggers us for change and we are expecting the changes soon and we want Pakatan Rakyat to have long live like you: the raintree.

    I can’t stop myself to say: I love you; caused my love story was shadowed here too.

  17. Imagine, a company with 59 employees, then one day, a few employees who had connection with police ask the police to bar 28 employees from entering the premise of the company, (during office hours), while these 28 employees were still legitimate employees, they had neither resigned or under any police investigation or break any laws !!!
    Court case to bar Sivakumar from holding meeting??– Poor Sivakumar is not even giving a chance to defense himself.
    Feel real sad for Malaysia and Perak (My home state)

  18. There is the Ruler.We hold him in high esteem because of his past judicial service and all the high flown speeches.But alas,semua ini seperti ‘cakap tak serupa bikin’.Only syiok sendiri.

  19. Perak hasn’t lost to BN yet. The MPs who were under the “Tree of Democracy and Freedom” still have strong spirits to get back what had been rudely and unfairly taken away from the irresponsible BN leaders. I personally believe that this crisis will not end as long as there’s no by-election to see who deserves to lead Perak.

    It is really sad to see that the victims are the rakyats of Perak; the casualties are the MPs who will not go down without a fight till the last drop of their blood.

    Yes, the whole world has watched the outcome of the Assembly under the “Tree of Democracy and Freedom” – they are laughing cynically at the stupidity of not PR but BN as this whole episode and whatever that’s about to transpire started from BN’s greed, selfishness, arrogance, ignorance and recalcitrance.

    After over half a century leading the country, they are still the same – hasn’t changed; never will no matter what and no matter how many elections and by-elections we have.

    Indeed, Malaysia has a failed PM (who’s now absolutely silent), a failed Deputy PM (who can’t wait to take the helm) and a team of educated gangsters (who follow blindly what their leaders say).

    Bye-bye to malaysia

  20. Please speak for the Rakyat, Tuanku Sultan !
    The state needs a re-elction. If you truly care for the rakyat,now is the time to get out of silence. Vote for ‘dissolution’ !
    Daulat Tuanku!

  21. Is there anyone or any system that we can trust in Malaysia?
    The police? The doctor?

    Visit Malaysia Today to read:
    “Kugan’s death: what the Pathologist discovered”
    http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/18824/84/

    How come the first pathologist who did the first post-mortem did not discover what the second pathologist at UMMC discovered?

    Is human life so cheap in Malaysia? Is our BN government only concerned about what happened in the Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp? Everything in Malaysia, OK?

  22. what is the point of being too romantic about the rain tree?
    very certain it will be chopped down and bulldozed over

    sivakumar, now u have the court, police, macc chasing your ass
    soon the irb will also take a bite.

    good luck

  23. I won’t be surprised if UMNO decide to take revenge against the raintree. Now the raintree has shown the people how beastly and abominable the BN government has descended into. They are so evil that they will destroy everything that are not to their liking. So the raintree will be the natural victim of UMNO vindictiveness and barbarity.

    Just wait and see.

  24. Police only wanted to allow speaker Siva into the guarded secretariat building to trap and kidnap him, similar to Bala’s case. So please safeguard the precious speaker. Imagine with Siva missing its free for all for UMNO and BN and everthing is possible for the crooks!!!! No matter what please don’t allow Siva alone anywhere without trusted body guards.

  25. I won’t be surprised if UMNO decide to take revenge against the justice. Now the justice has shown the people how beastly and abominable the BN government has descended into. They are so evil that they will destroy everything that are not to their liking. So the justice will be the natural victim of UMNO vindictiveness and barbarity.

    Just wait and see.

  26. Hey, any body can take a photo of the historic raintree and print it on bookmark, greeting card, post cards, hat or T-shirt, etc and sell to the whole Malaysian or maybe the whole world so can raise some fund for DAP??

  27. When sit back you look at the whole event you will notice this.

    “There’s this poor chap being bounded in the hands and legs and cannot move or run is being slapped, punched and kicked repeatedly. Then when the chap moved his head to avoid a punch the bully then screamed, yelled and complaint that the poor chap is cheating!!!”

  28. Hey Fellas, enjoy a good laugh at the MACC for cows and cars:

    Malaysianinsider: “Ahmad Said said the MACC had completed its investigation on claims of money politics in Umno and found no cases so far.”

    UMNO President says UMNO is sick with money politics.
    UMNO Deputy President says UMNO is saturated with money politics,
    UMNO Vice-Presidents say UMNO is corrupted by money politics.
    UMNO Supreme Council says UMNO members will die becos of money politics.
    UMNO memebers say UMNO is nothing but money politics.

    Now MACC says UMNO is clean and has no money politics.

    Now we know why MACC is for cows.

  29. How come when police can immediate take action on Siva Kumar on the ground of the illegal assembly ?

    What about the attack by the UMNO youth to Karpal Singh ? Every parents will teach their children to behave morally when deal with people …But it shows that the parents “UMNO” never teach ” Youth” about MORALITY…. What is the action need to be taken ?
    Answer : AG will take 1 month to decide the case..Will call up witness….bla bla bla…….( just to buy time) That is what our government BOLEH!!!. Talking about productivity….

  30. MACC should be investigating UMNO from the very top to the bottom. UMNO is corrupt as confirmed by the President, Deputy President, Vice Presidents, Supreme Councils and even the members. Why investigating lembu-lembu and assembly under a tree in an open space where all can see? They have already lost their direction in objective, function and goal.

  31. The deputy IGP had told the media that the strong police presence at the Perak State Secretariat building was to discourage and disperse any illegal assembly and to ensure smooth road traffic flow.
    But while it is acceptable for the police to prevent people who have no business there in the first place from mobbing the state secretariat building, why were the PR ADUNs, the people who have business there as the elected representatives of the people of Perak, forcefully prevented by the police from entering the building?
    While the IGP has given the excuse that the police have no jurisdiction at the Parliament, and thus, could not do anything about the UMNO Youth members who had unlawfully prevented Karpal Singh from entering the Parliament building so that they can harass this MP, how is it that the police suddenly (& conveniently) have jurisdiction at the Perak State Secretariat building to the extent of blocking the PR ADUNs?

    Zambry, Perak’s MB only by the mandate of the BN-UMNO controlled federal govt, naturally told ntv7 news that the under-the-raintree-assembly is an embarassment to our nation. However, 97% of the ntv7 viewers, through a SMS poll, disagree with him.
    So, why should Zambry still want to believe that he has the support of the people to head the Perak state govt?

  32. 2 UMNO members have already told the media that they were considering getting an injunction to prevent the UMNO AGM from being held unless the UMNO leadership takes real action against money politics, because they both want to save the party from sinking further.
    Thus, MACC shouldn’t simply close the case when there are UMNO members who are willing to desperately take such a drastic action.
    Unless, of course, MACC was ordered to do so by those who are more powerful than these 2 UMNO members…

  33. Remember the brilliant UK Conservative MP John Enoch Powell?

    Remember that one misjudgement he made by making that controversial “Rivers of Blood” speech on 20 April 1968:

    “As I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding. Like the Roman, I seem to see ‘the River Tiber foaming with much blood’. That tragic and intractable phenomenon which we watch with horror on the other side of the Atlantic but which there is interwoven with the history and existence of the States itself, is coming upon us here by our own volition and our own neglect. Indeed, it has all but come. In numerical terms, it will be of American proportions long before the end of the century. Only resolute and urgent action will avert it even now.”

    Powell was sacked from the Shadow cabinet by Edward Heath the day after he made that speech and Powell never held another senior political post after that.

    Whilst over in Malaysia, a certain high-profile UMNO politician who publicly and threateningly brandished a weapon called a keris, and who ceremoniously vowed while doing so, “to bathe it with the blood of fellow Malaysian citizens” got rewarded for that obscene speech and crass, ill-mannered public exhibitionism by being promoted and promoted and promoted up the hilted ranks to hey presto! DPM and soon to PM.

    Makes you think, and shudder a little too in your shoes now, doesn’t it?

    “Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.

  34. Its not just about lying. The fact of the matter they are lost, they have no idea the difference and more importantly perpective anymore.

    When Zambry, supposedly a new top leader representing their future, think that being embarassed is MORE important than being illegal, its a sure sign he is lost. BUT when he smiled like he is so smart about it, then he is hopeless. Its a sure sign the future leadership of UMNO is unreliable with flimsy foundation of the basic concept of governance and priorities of this nation.

    And it all starts with Najib – Najib picked Zambry himself and the pathetic followers is a reflection of the pathetic leader. Najib is in fact a poor leader for the challenges this nation faces now and the future. He just is the wrong guy for the job now.

  35. UMNO has the police, judiciary, elections commission already in its pocket. They have to resort to such underhanded tactics to remain in power. Thats there interpretation of power sharing!

    At the end of it all, its the rakyat versus UMNO. MCA and MIC…don’t even think you represent the Chinese and Indian communities, because you don’t.

  36. I equate the “raintree Perak State Assembly” to that of the meeting of the Estates-General of 20 June 1789 in a tennis court near the Palace of Versailles in France.

    From Wikipedia
    On the morning of 20 June (1789) the deputies were shocked to discover that the doors to their chamber were locked and guarded by soldiers. Immediately fearing the worst and anxious that a royal coup was imminent, the deputies congregated in a nearby indoor real tennis court where they took a solemn collective oath “never to separate, and to meet wherever circumstances demand, until the constitution of the kingdom is established and affirmed on solid foundations”.

  37. One wonders how this now famous under-the-tree state assembly session can be regarded as a joke, when moments earlier, 28 lawfully elected PR ADUNs were forcefully turned away from the state secretariat building by the police, almost at the point of igniting violence.
    Using the police to prevent elected representatives of the people from performing their duties of convening an emergency session in the state secretariat building, should already convince the people in not only Perak but also the whole nation, that the UMNO-led BN already has totalitarian aspirations of wresting power from PR without bothering to seek the people’s mandate through the ballot box.

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