Election of Perak Speaker: UMNO's Intended Racist Tactic to Use the Secret Ballot FAILED Miserably !

Read here for more in "The Malaysian Blog" and here

DAP assemblyman for Tronoh, V. Sivakumar, 37, was elected as the Speaker, a non Malay and an Indian, while a WOMAN, Hee Yit Foong, the DAP assemblywoman for Jelapang and a polio victim was chosen as Deputy Speaker, at the first sitting of the assembly.

Sivakumar's election makes him the FIRST Malaysian Indian to assume the post of Speaker in Malaysia.

V. Sivakumar from DAP holds a Bachelor in Legal Philosophy and a Master’s in Business Administration, and previously served as political secretary to Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran.

Hee Yit Foong, 45, also from the DAP, who limps because of polio which she contracted when she was four years old, is the FIRST disabled woman to be elected to the post.


V. Sivakumar Swearing in as
Speaker of Perak State Assembly
(photo courtesy of Bernama)


Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar
with the new House Speaker, V. Sivakumar
(Photo courtesy of NST)
The election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker was not as smooth as expected, with UMNO still trying to play the RACE-CARD, this time trying to fish for the Malay votes in Pakatan Rakyat.

Take note of this: The Perak State Assembly has 31 seat won by Pakatan Rakyat grouping of DAP, PKR and PAS against Barisan Nasional's 28 after March 8 general election.

Here's the story in the Perak State Assembly which unfolded in the mainstream media:

1. Before the voting started, UMNO's Slim assemblyman Datuk Mohd Khusairi Abdul Talib proposed former UMNO's man, former House Speaker, Datuk Seri Junus Wahid's name, and MCA's Chenderiang state assemblyman Mah Hang Soon as Deputy Speaker
   
   
2. Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham from Pakatan Rakyat objected because Datuk Seri Junus Wahid was not even present in the assembly. "The proposed candidate must be physically present", said Ngeh.
   
   
3. UMNO's Pengkalan Hulu assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali then stood up and said: "If his presence is needed urgently, he can be called as Junus is just around the corner."
   
   
4. A few minutes later, a calm Datuk Seri Junus Wahid walked into the assembly and witnessed the voting.
   
   
5. Here's the twist: The BN assemblymen then asked for a SECRET BALLOT.
   
   
6. Pasir Pinji DAP assemblyman Thomas Su Keong Siong said the Standing Orders did NOT say anything about a secret ballot.
   
   NOTE: The standing orders stated the ballot papers would be MARKED and SIGNED while the assembly secretary or his agent should collect the papers FROM the desk of the wakil rakyat
   
   
7. The situation diffused when Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said the government agreed to a SECRET vote.
   
   
8. All assemblymen walked to the two booths to sign and mark their ballot papers before putting them in boxes.

The RESULT of the VOTE:

Pakatan Rakyat's candidate Sivakumar for Speaker's post received 31 votes and Hee for Deputy Speaker's post received 30 votes.

BN's Yunus and the Mah each received 28.

(Compare the votes each obtained and the number of PR and BN candidates in the House).

Why the Call by UMNO for Secret Ballot Despite the Standing Orders?

Read here Commentary in "The Malaysian" Blog

".... Consider this part of the above report (in NST)

'Although the standing orders stated the ballot papers would be marked and signed while the assembly secretary or his agent should collect the papers from the desk of the wakil rakyat, BN assemblymen had other plans in mind and asked for a secret ballot.'

What do you think was the LOGIC behind the BN (read UMNO) demand for a secret ballot?

With the typical befuddled RACE-based thinking, mentality and strategy that the Umnoputeras are perennially stuck with, they had hoped, nay indeed convinced, that IF a SECRET ballot was held, the Malays in the Pakatan Rakyat would vote for Umno's Malay candidate instead of Pakatan's NON-Malay choice.

The Perak Menteri Besar agreed to their demand and what happened?

NOT even one state assemblyman from Pakatan Rakyat voted for the UMNO calon.

Not surprising really.

UMNO had all along put up this act and facade that they were the sole 'champions' of Malay rights and duped the nation for decades.

Now the people have seen through their duplicitous game and won't fall for their bangsa, agama dan negara 'struggle' anymore.

Even at THIS crucial juncture when their RACIST philosophy and even their own party is in tatters, they still have NOT been able to rid themselves off the ETHNIC equation in EVERYTHING they do.

And they (UMNO) NEVER will.