Najib says it again, we can talk about Perak but ... - The Malaysian Insider

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

PUTRAJAYA, May 14 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today reiterated that Barisan Nasional is willing to talk to Pakatan Rakyat in order to resolve the political deadlock in Perak but stressed that there must be no preconditions.

"It must also be done with respect towards the rules, inside or outside the state assembly, and there must not be any preconditions," the prime minister told a press conference today.

In a bid to find a solution to the three-month-old impasse in Perak, Pakatan leaders said they are willing to let their guard down and cooperate with rivals BN in finding ways to resolve the matter.

However, BN must agree to dissolve the state assembly and hold fresh elections before Pakatan leaders would agree to sit down and talk but Najib today said it is not for him to decide if the state assembly should be dissolved or not.

"That is up to the Sultan to decide," he said.

Although Najib's statement is technically correct, the public and especially Perakians believe that BN's reluctance to agree to the dissolution of the state assembly to pave the way for fresh elections is because the ruling coalition fears that it would perform poorly just as it did in past by-elections.

Najib, however, said BN fears no one and is always willing to face the music.

"BN is not afraid. We have to face the rakyat and we will face the rakyat. We have faced the rakyat many times," he said.

Meanwhile, Najib also commented on PAS spiritual leader Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat’s rejection towards the unity government proposal, saying that Umno had never proposed anything to the Islamic-based party as claimed by many.

"So how can you (Nik Aziz) reject what was never even proposed in the first place," he said.