Perak gov't collapses - BN claims power
Feb 4, 09 12:12pm
LIVE REPORTS
5.50pm: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim accuses BN of trying to form government in Perak 'by hook or by crook'.
"We are pushing for a dissolution of the state assembly and fresh elections in the state. We must go back to the people and get a fresh mandate," he tells AFP.
"BN is trying to form the state government by hook or by crook - more by crook."
5.35pm: Mohd Nizar leaves the palace after meeting Sultan Azlan Shah. He tells reporters that he has informed the sultan of his request to dissolve the state assembly.
"It is now up to Tuanku (his highness)," he adds with a smile. The meeting lasted almost two hours.
5.08pm: 'PERAK GOVERNMENT FALLS' A beaming Najib tells a press conference that Barisan Nasional has the support of the four former Pakatan Perak assemblypersons - three will be "BN-friendly" Independents, while Nasarudin will rejoin Umno.
Najib will meet the Perak sultan as soon as possible. He says it is up to the sultan to decide on Nizar's request for dissolution of the assembly.
"All three state representatives - Jamaluddin, Osman and Hee - have submitted resignation letters to their former parties and have informed the sultan of their resignation."They have also given BN the mandate to select a new menteri besar for Perak."
Nasarudin denies the claim that he has been abducted. Najib adds that under Article 16(6) of the Perak constitution, if the menteri besar loses the confidence of the assembly members, he is required to resign, together with all the exco members under him.
However the final decision now hinges on the Sultan of Perak - if he accedes to a Pakatan request for dissolution or allows BN to form the new government. Najib's press statement & Nasarudin's press statement
5.05pm: Mohd Nizar is still at Istana Kinta.
4.28pm: It is learnt that Bota representative Nasarudin Hashim is at the DPM's office, waiting to be introduced to the media by Najib. With Nasarudin's reversal of his defection, BN and its independent allies now have 31 seats against Pakatan Rakyat's 28.
4.25pm Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, Osman Jailu and Hee Yit Foong are present at the DPM's office. It is believed that Najib will announce their entry into BN at his press conference.
4pm: DPM Najib Abdul Razak is expected to begin his press conference in Putrajaya soon.
3.50pm: Perak Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin enters Istana Kinta to meet with Sultan Azlan Shah.
EARLIER TODAY
Perak Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin is expected to have an audience with the sultan to seek the dissolution of the state assembly. If the sultan accedes to the request, a snap state election will have to be called in view of the current political upheaval in Perak.
Perak Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin is expected to have an audience with the sultan to seek the dissolution of the state assembly. If the sultan accedes to the request, a snap state election will have to be called in view of the current political upheaval in Perak.
It is learnt that Nizar is now waiting to be summoned by Sultan Azlan Shah for the audience and will be calling a press conference soon after.
The Pakatan Rakyat-led government is at the verge of collapse in the wake of resignations from three of its state assemblypersons. Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (PKR-Behrang), Osman Jailu (PKR-Changkat Jering) and deputy assembly speaker Hee Yit Foong (DAP-Jelapang) had this morning submitted official letters to speaker V Sivakumar to express their intention to become independent representatives.
This afternoon Hee confirmed to reporters in Ipoh that she had resigned from DAP to become an independent.
This afternoon Hee confirmed to reporters in Ipoh that she had resigned from DAP to become an independent.
Two more to defect, Najib to call PC. At the same time, political circles told Malaysiakini that two more Pakatan representatives are in the midst of leaving their parties. They too are expected to become independents. All five are eventually expected to join BN.
The Perak sultan will now play a pivotal role on whether to agree with Mohmad Nizar in dissolving the state assembly or hand over the state government to the one which commands the majority, which in this case could be BN.
But it appears that the sultan will go for the second option by allowing a transfer of power without a snap poll.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is calling a press conference at 4pm in Putrajaya. It is speculated that he will announced the possible takeover of the state government.
All Perak BN parliamentarians and state assemblypersons have summoned to Putrajaya for Najib's press conference.
With Hee's defection, Pakatan now has 29 seats with DAP (17), PKR (6) and PAS (6), BN has 27 with Umno (26) and MCA (1), and three independents.
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