OF DECEPTION, DENIALS AND UNFULFILLED PLEDGES

THE recently-concluded 12th state assembly sitting was very much an eye opener to say the least.

What was anticipated by the Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen as a platform to show their mettle and bash the daylights out of Barisan Nasional (BN) representatives failed to materialise and backfired on them instead.

They had assumed the four-day sitting to be a stroll in the park, judging from the “big talks” earlier, and did not expect to be on the receiving end of a well-prepared BN team.

With state BN and Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali taking the lead, the weaknesses and flaws of the new state government administration were laid bare for all to see.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was hard-pressed to come up with credible answers and attempts by senior exco member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham to back him up also failed miserably.

At one point, Nizar even said out aloud that Pas never had the intention of forming an Islamic state and enforcing the Hudud laws when it swept into power, to the chagrin of several Pas supporters from Kedah and Kelantan who were present during the assembly.

His stand was obviously jeered by BN assemblymen with calls for him to repent and not lie in the state assembly.

“Pas is now with DAP…What happened to the decree that Muslims should not be in cahoots with (kafirs) non-believers?

“I urge the media to report what the Menteri Besar said pertaining to his stand on the matter” roared Tajol Rosli.

He also chided Nizar for likening their (Pakatan Rakyat) working relationship to that of a rocket.

“Now they even eat chicken rice together,” he said referring to a newspaper clipping.

Nizar was also taken to task for spreading malicious lies during his numerous ceramah by claiming that Tajol Rosli had yet to shake hands with him.

“I have done so on several occasions…Perhaps, he was looking elsewhere and did not see me,” Tajol Rosli said.

When the matter dragged on, an obviously uncomfortable Nizar tried to give his side of the story saying that he meant the official handing over of Menteri Besar duties.

This did not go down well with BN assemblymen and Datuk Seri Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar suggested that Nizar set a good precedent by apologising to Tajol Rosli.

The proceedings also revealed the shortcomings of the Pakatan Rakyat state government especially pertaining to the honouring of election pledges.

“The people are in the dark. There have only been one ceramah after another regaling their victory in the general election.

“Is this how the Pakatan Rakyat going to administer the state?” questioned Tajol Rosli.

Several other pertinent issues including the waiver of summonses, the appointment of Ipoh mayor and the granting of land to illegal farmers were also raised by BN assemblymen despite getting satisfactory answers from the state government.

Members of the media thoroughly enjoyed the colourful and lively debates throughout the sitting although the same could not be said for the Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen.

At the end of the four-day sitting, Nizar virtually “steamrolled” everyone in his winding-up speech by not giving room for others to interject.

His eyes were glued to the prepared text, which he failed to read in full with both hands frantically gesturing for BN assemblymen to sit down.

And when the sitting was finally adjourned sine die sometime after 4pm on June 27, only one thing was for certain - the state government’s obvious lack of direction in forging ahead in challenging times….