Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Nizar Confident Of A Fair Decision By Perak Sultan - Bernama

IPOH, Feb 4 (Bernama)

Perak Menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said today he was confident that the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, would make a fair and just decision to resolve the state's political crisis.

"I have no doubt that the decision will be fair to all... to the people and to the political parties," he told reporters at the state Pas headquarters here tonight where he attended the party's emergency meeting.

Mohammad Nizar, who had an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah to seek his consent after announcing the dissolution of the state legislative assembly early today, told reporters that the Sultan of Perak did not convey any decision whether he would grant consent.

"He said that he needed time to look into the matter. I will abide and accept whatever the decision," he said.

He said the audience went well and that he had briefed the Sultan on the latest political development and also conveyed his request for the consent.

Mohammad Nizar said that since the Sultan of Perak had not made any decisions, "I will continue to run the state's administration together with other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) assemblymen."

"I will be working as usual," he said, adding that it was better to hold a snap election to resolve the political impasse once and for all.

Should the Sultan decide not to grant consent, he said, the PR government could still function as a caretaker government.

"This government is valid and would function as a minority government... just like in Canada and India," he said.

On Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's announcement that the Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) now had the simple majority to form the new state government, Mohammad Nizar said, he found the matter difficult to believe.

He said that the three Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen -- Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang), Mohd Osman Jailu (Changkat Jering) and Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang) -- had not submitted any official statements on their decisions to become Independent assemblymen.

On Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim's decision to rejoin Umno, Mohammad Nizar said Nasaruddin might have been forced to quit Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the party he defected to just over a week ago.

Najib said BN now had the number to take over the Perak state government following the move by the four PR assemblymen to leave their respective parties and express support to the BN.

Following the latest development, BN and PR now have 28 seats each.

However the three Independent assemblymen have expressed support towards the BN, including on the appointment of a new menteri besar from the national coalition.

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