IPOH: Undated resignation letters signed by PKR candidates after last year’s March 8 elections were believed to have been sent by PKR to the state speaker to announce the resignation of two of its assemblymen.
Letters from Jamaluddin Mat Radzi (Behrang) and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering) were sent to speaker V. Sivakumar at about 5.45pm yesterday.
A few hours later, Jamaluddin and Mohd Osman denied sending the letters and vacating their seats.
Jamaluddin said the resignation letter that was supposedly sent was actually an old undated “resignation letter” that he and the other six assemblymen from PKR were forced to sign in late March.
Sivakumar said the letters were sent to him at his house.
“Both Mohd Osman and Jamaluddin resigned as state assemblymen with immediate effect. I have accepted their resignation based on Article XXXV of the state constitution.
“As the state speaker, I will announce the two state seats N14 Changkat Jering and N59 of Behrang vacant as soon as possible,” he said.
Sivakumar said he would also be getting in touch with the Election Commission today to inform it about the latest development.
This, he said, was to enable the commission to make arrangements for by-elections to be held within 60 days as required under the state constitution.
Jamaluddin added, “I am still the state assemblyman for Behrang. I have not resigned. I will challenge the validity of the ‘old’ letter as it was signed under duress.”
Jamaluddin said he was discussing with his lawyers what his next course of action should be.
He said the resignation letter was not valid as it was not sent by him, although it bore his signature.
He questioned how he could have personally sent the letter to Sivakumar when he was supposed to be “missing” as claimed by PKR leaders.
“And if it was sent by post, then there should be a postmark to show where it was sent from,” he added.
He said there was no reason whatsoever for him to resign just because he had problems with his party leaders.
“My problems are with PKR leaders, not with the people of Behrang. I will not shirk my responsibilities,” he said. Jamaluddin however refused to divulge his whereabouts saying that he was safe and was not confined by force by anyone.
He also denied rumours that he would be crossing over to Umno, but confirmed he would quit PKR and remain as an Independent.
Mohd Osman said there was no reason for him to resign and he would continue to serve as a representative of the people.
Both of them said in a statement late last night that they would reveal more in a press conference today. They created a stir in Perak by “disappearing” from the scene since Jan 26.
Earlier yesterday, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin admitted that the two men have been incommunicado since the first day of Chinese New Year.
Even family members and Pakatan leaders, he said, could not contact the two whom he claimed had been “stolen or kidnapped by Barisan and specifically Umno.”
“For the past five days, I have tried to call them and SMS them, but failed. I even contacted the cellular operators and gave them their numbers but they could not be detected.
“Not even their family members could reach them, it’s impossible,” he told reporters after an emergency meeting with Pakatan assemblymen at his residence here.
Nizar believed that their disappearance was a Barisan “evil ploy” to bring down the state government by taking advantage of the two assemblymen who are schedueld to face corruption proceedings on Feb 10.
malaysiakini's report when out.
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