Sultan meets party leaders before ordering state’s Menteri Besar to quit at once
By Elizabeth Looi 6 February 2009
KUALA LUMPUR: Perak’s Sultan Azlan Shah, had his hands full yesterday trying to resolve his state’s political crisis.
Political leaders from the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took turns meeting him at the palace.
The BN pleaded with the Sultan to let it form the new state government, while the PR tried to persuade him to allow the state assembly to be dissolved and hold state elections instead.
Deputy Premier Najib Razak - also Perak Umno chairman - arrived at the palace at 9.50am. He left about 50 minutes later and returned at 11.20am, together with the four defected assemblymen from PR who had led to the fall of the PR state government.
While this was happening, PR leaders rushed to Ipoh, Perak’s main town, to try to keep the state government from being toppled by the BN.
First to arrive were opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim. The rest of the leaders and supporters trickled in over the next two hours.
Sultan Azlan Shah finally announced his decision, much to the disappointment of the people, as well as incumbent Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin. He ordered Mr. Nizar to resign immediately, realising that he no longer commanded a majority. Refuse and Mr. Nizar’s position would be considered vacant, the Sultan told him.
Supporters, including those not from Perak, prepared to rally at the main stadium to show their support for the PR government in the evening.
Unfortunately, some of them got carried away. Unconfirmed reports said that angry voters threw stones at the service centre and at the home of one of the assemblymen who had defected, Ms. Hee Yit Foong of the Democratic Action Party.
Supporters also began gathering outside Mr. Nizar’s official residence at about 3.20pm when Datuk Seri Anwar was chairing a meeting inside to plan their next course of action.
By nightfall, thousands of supporters were in the compound. They hoisted banners with messages calling for the return of people power and pleaded for the Sultan to dissolve the state assembly.
The normally impassive Mr. Nizar told the cheering crowd he would fight till ‘his last drop of blood’ and ‘this will be where Najib will be buried’. He also said he would boycott the swearing-in ceremony of his successor today.
The situation remained relatively calm and there was no police presence.
While the opposition was shrouded in a sombre mood yesterday, the BN was happy. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi quickly named Pangkor MP Zambry Abdul Kadir the new Menteri Besar.
Mr. Najib, who recently took over the Perak Umno liaison committee chair when former chairman Tajol Rosli quit, is now being hailed as a hero by the BN for wresting Perak back. It is a great start for Mr. Najib, who will be the next prime minister when the transition of power occurs next month.
Perak was one of the states which fell to the opposition after the March polls last year, along with Kelantan, Kedah, Penang and Selangor.
But it does not look like things will settle down any time soon in the usually sleepy state, even after the swearing in of the new state government today.
Political analysts, including Umno veterans and former premier Mahathir Mohamad, warned that BN’s victory would be short-lived as the new government does not have the mandate of the people.
1 comment:
A Right Royal Affair in Perak
Sultan meets party leaders before ordering state’s Menteri Besar to quit at once
By Elizabeth Looi
6 February 2009
KUALA LUMPUR: Perak’s Sultan Azlan Shah, had his hands full yesterday trying to resolve his state’s political crisis.
Political leaders from the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took turns meeting him at the palace.
The BN pleaded with the Sultan to let it form the new state government, while the PR tried to persuade him to allow the state assembly to be dissolved and hold state elections instead.
Deputy Premier Najib Razak - also Perak Umno chairman - arrived at the palace at 9.50am. He left about 50 minutes later and returned at 11.20am, together with the four defected assemblymen from PR who had led to the fall of the PR state government.
While this was happening, PR leaders rushed to Ipoh, Perak’s main town, to try to keep the state government from being toppled by the BN.
First to arrive were opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim. The rest of the leaders and supporters trickled in over the next two hours.
Sultan Azlan Shah finally announced his decision, much to the disappointment of the people, as well as incumbent Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin. He ordered Mr. Nizar to resign immediately, realising that he no longer commanded a majority. Refuse and Mr. Nizar’s position would be considered vacant, the Sultan told him.
Supporters, including those not from Perak, prepared to rally at the main stadium to show their support for the PR government in the evening.
Unfortunately, some of them got carried away. Unconfirmed reports said that angry voters threw stones at the service centre and at the home of one of the assemblymen who had defected, Ms. Hee Yit Foong of the Democratic Action Party.
Supporters also began gathering outside Mr. Nizar’s official residence at about 3.20pm when Datuk Seri Anwar was chairing a meeting inside to plan their next course of action.
By nightfall, thousands of supporters were in the compound. They hoisted banners with messages calling for the return of people power and pleaded for the Sultan to dissolve the state assembly.
The normally impassive Mr. Nizar told the cheering crowd he would fight till ‘his last drop of blood’ and ‘this will be where Najib will be buried’. He also said he would boycott the swearing-in ceremony of his successor today.
The situation remained relatively calm and there was no police presence.
While the opposition was shrouded in a sombre mood yesterday, the BN was happy. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi quickly named Pangkor MP Zambry Abdul Kadir the new Menteri Besar.
Mr. Najib, who recently took over the Perak Umno liaison committee chair when former chairman Tajol Rosli quit, is now being hailed as a hero by the BN for wresting Perak back. It is a great start for Mr. Najib, who will be the next prime minister when the transition of power occurs next month.
Perak was one of the states which fell to the opposition after the March polls last year, along with Kelantan, Kedah, Penang and Selangor.
But it does not look like things will settle down any time soon in the usually sleepy state, even after the swearing in of the new state government today.
Political analysts, including Umno veterans and former premier Mahathir Mohamad, warned that BN’s victory would be short-lived as the new government does not have the mandate of the people.
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