KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Sept 2009: The Election Commission (EC) acted beyond its powers and functions in not holding by-elections for three state seats in Perak, the High Court here was told today. Counsel Datuk S Ambiga said the EC’s decision in holding that the state assembly seats of Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang were not [...]

IPOH, 2 Sept 2009: Members of the Perak state assembly from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) today had a state assembly sitting at the Heritage Hotel here and “passed three resolutions”.  The resolutions were to endorse the rights and privileges committee reports of 27 July 2009 and 12 Aug 2009, and the appointments for three committees [...]

Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh WHEN Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh was Dewan Negara president, the upper house of parliament started regaining just a little bit of its clout as a check and balance to executive power. In 2005, for example, senators resisted just being a rubber stamp for the controversial amendments to [...]

PENANG, 31 July 2009: The Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce the nomination and polling dates for the Permatang Pasir state by-election by 10 Aug, EC chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said. The by-election, the eighth since the March 2008 general election, has to be called because of the death of the [...]

Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh TAN Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh has had an interesting career in Malaysian politics. An Umno member, he was Member of Parliament (MP), first for the Arau seat in the 1980s, and then for the Kangar seat in 1999. The 1944-born medical graduate was appointed Deputy Speaker of the [...]

IPOH, 30 July 2009: The previous Perak Rights and Privileges Committee headed by embattled state assembly speaker V Sivakumar can no longer hold a meeting as it was deemed dissolved after the 7 May assembly sitting. State assembly secretary Abdullah Antong Sabri said the committee was valid for only one term and it ceased to [...]