Who is Khir Toyo to talk about corruption?

"Who is Khir Toyo to talk about corruption?

"There were many allegations against him when he was the Selangor MB including those involving land and contract matters."

The above were utterred by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as reported by the media (NST Feb 23) when he was asked to comment on Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo's allegations against the Selangor PR government led by Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Anwar has a point. I am not saying that Anwar is an angel but neither is Khir Toyo. However, I am aware that several reports were lodged with the then Anti- Corruption Agency (ACA) by a certain political writer (now with Harakah daily) against Khir Toyo.

I am also aware that Khir Toyo's then deputy (Deputy MB of Selangor) Dato Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad wrote a letter to the then ACA chief Dato Zulkifli Mohd Noor denying and clarifying Khir Toyo's press statement on land allocation.

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and current PM Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad were aware of the letter.

I am not aware of any action taken by the ACA.

The letter was written in May 2003 when Dr Zainal's name was linked in the statement made by Khir Toyo which Dr Zainal said was not true. Khir Toyo's statement were published on April 30 and May 1 in Utusan Malaysia.

It all started when the then DAP's Bandar Klang state assembly member, Teng Chang Khim questioned the state government's approval of land - Lot 557, Mukim Dengkil and Kampung Labu Lanjut, Sepang - to several people which he said of having vested interests.

He claimed that applications for Lot 557 (agriculture land) a total of 107 people were successful. Chang said that among them were people with connections to Khir Toyo, with the then Dengkil representative Datuk Mohd Sharif Jajang and several state officials.

Chang was debating the thank you motion for the royal address opening the first sitting of the fifth State Legislative Assembly in Shah Alam on April 29, 2003. He claimed that despite stating his vested interests to several land applications, Khir Toyo did not leave the meeting when the papers were presented for approval. Khir Toyo continued to chair the Exco meeting.

Khir also did not leave the meeting to approve land applications for Kampung Labu Lanjut, Sepang.

The following day (April 30), Khir clarified that the land applications (Mukim Dengkil and Kampung Labu Lanjut, Sepang) were approved according to procedures and in line with the state policies to award land to qualified people (applicants).

He admitted that among the successful applicants were governmen servants, including those serving in his office, but they were done according to procedures.

Speaking to reporters in the State Legislative Assembly lobby, Khir claimed that when the state Executive Council (Exco) met to decide on the land applications, he left the meeting room after declaring his vested interest.

He said, normally when he left such meetings, the deputy Menteri Besar or another Exco member Datuk Tang See Hang, would chair the meeting and that was the procedure adopted.

However, Dr Zainal, in his letter to the ACA, denied that Khir Toyo left the meeting concerned. In fact, Khir Toyo continued to chair the Exco meeting.

Dr Zainal, now Selangor Pakatan Rakyat MP, also said that since taking office as MB, Khir Toyo never directed him (Dr Zainal) or any other Exco member to chair Exco meetings.

He said that Khir Toyo's statement stating that the Exco meeting to approve the said land applications were either chaired by him (Dr Zainal) or Datuk Tang See Hang were false and not the truth.

So, who is Khir Toyo to talk about corruption?

KEMELUT POLITIK PERAK TAK SEBURUK INI JIKA DUN DIBUBARKAN

Kemelut politik yang sedang berlaku di Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan sekarang sudah tentu tidak sebegini rupa andai kata Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dibubarkan.

Apabila DUN tidak dibubarkan, kedudukan Speaker atau Yang diPertua Dewan Negeri, kekal disandang oleh penyandang sedia ada. Dalam hubungan DUN Perak, ia masih disandang oleh V Sivakumar dari DAP (Pakatan Rakyat). Begitu juga dengan keahlian Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan DUN Perak.

Apabila Speaker memanggil MB pentadbiran Barisan Nasional, Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir untuk menghadapi Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan DUN Perak, mahu tidak mahu Dr Zambry kena patuh.

Alasan yang diberi oleh Dr Zambry bahawa dia menghormati "institusi Speaker" hanyalah satu kenyataan politik kerana dia (Dr Zambry) sedar ataupun telah disedarkan bahawa kedudukan Speaker dan Jawatankuasa berkenaan adalah sah dari segi undang-undang mahupun Perlembagaan.

Walaupun pentadbiran kerajaan negeri telah berpindah tangan daripada Pakatan Rakyat kepada Barisan Nasional seperti yang berlaku, ia tidak bermakna kedudukan Speaker dan jawatankuasa-jawatankuasa yang dibentuk dan diluluskan oleh DUN juga gugur.

Kedudukan Speaker hanya boleh ditentukan oleh persidangan DUN itu sendiri atau atas beberapa sebab seperti yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan termasuk perletakan jawatan.

Speaker boleh pada bila-bila masa meletak jawatannya apabila Dewan Undangan Negeri bermesyuarat pertama kalinya selepas sesuatu pilihan raya umum (perkara ini sudah tiada kaitan dengan kedudukan Sivakumar), atau apabila Speaker terhenti menjadi Ahli Dewan melainkan oleh sebab pembubarannya atau, apabila dia terhenti berkelayakan menjadi ahli, atau apabila DUN membuat ketetapan tertentu termasuk usul undi tidak percaya.

Dalam kedudukan Sivakumar, DUN Perak belum bersidang selepas perpindahan pentadbiran kepada BN dan oleh itu kedudukannya sebagai Speaker tidak tercabar dan dia kekal sebagai Speaker. Mungkin perkara ini tidak terfikir oleh pihak BN atau mereka terlepas pandang.

Oleh itu, pada pendapat saya tindakan Speaker menggantung keahlian Dr Zambry selama 18 bulan dan ahli-ahli Exconya selama 12 bulan, adalah betul memandangkan kedudukan mereka selaku Speaker dan ahli-ahli Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan DUN Perak adalah sah. DUN Perak belum bersidang untuk memecat mereka dan melantik penyandang baru.

Kemelut politik Perak yang kini menjadi satu krisis Perlembagaan mungkin tidak berlaku andai kata Dewan Undangan Negeri dibubarkan dan rakyat, pihak yang benar-benar berhak menentukan pembentukan sesebuah kerajaan, diberi mandat untuk memilih sama ada Barisan Nasional atau Pakatan Rakyat.

Selaku manusia biasa, tidak kira kedudukan, pangkat dan darjat, kita tidak sempurna dan tidak terlepas daripada membuat kesilapan. Sepintar mana, sebijak mana atau sehebat mana sekalipun, kita adalah manusia biasa dan tidak semua perbuatan kita adalah betul.

Kuasa penentu masih di tangan Paduka Seri Sultan Perak seperti yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan iaitu - bubarkan Dewan Undangan Negeri untuk membolehkan satu pilihan raya baru diadakan. Serahkan hak pemilihan secara demokratik kepada rakyat. Itulah pilihan terbaik.