Published on: Thursday, February 05, 2009 |
Putra Jaya: The Barisan Nasional (BN) is ready to form a new government in Perak following four assemblymen in the State quitting their parties to support the BN, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
"We wish to extend our thanks if they have taken the decision to state their support for the BN, the BN accepts and we say thank you," he told press conference, Wednesday.
The four are the assemblymen for Behrang and Changkat Jering, Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Jailu respectively from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Jelapang Assemblywoman Hee Yit Foong from DAP, and Bota Assemblyman Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim who joined PKR 10 days ago but returned to Umno, yesterday.
"If we (BN) have the numbers, of course we will take the step (to form the new government)," said Abdullah, who is also BN Chairman, when commenting on the BN having a simple majority to replace the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak following the development.
With this latest development, the BN now has 28 seats in the State Assembly, Pakatan Rakyat also 28 and independents three seats.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a separate press conference earlier, had said that although the BN had the same number of seats as the Pakatan Rakyat, it could form the government in Perak because the three independents had stated their support for the BN, including in the choice of Menteri Besar from among the BN assemblymen.
Asked if the BN coalition had lost the moral high ground by attempting to wrest control of Perak in this way, Najib said: "No, we didn't start it.
Somebody wanted to form the government on Sept. 16."
Anwar had claimed that the opposition would take over the Federal Government last Sept. 16, with a sufficient number of BN MPs ready to defect, but the promise did not materialise.
As rumours circulated that its lawmakers were about to defect, the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance attempted to dissolve the state parliament and trigger fresh elections that pundits said it had a good chance of winning.
"We must go back to the people and get a fresh mandate," opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
"The BN are trying to form the State Government by hook or by crook - more by crook," he told AFP.
The ruling coalition lost its once iron-clad two-thirds parliamentary majority in the March poll which also saw it ceding five states to the opposition, including Perak.
Meanwhile, on whether BN would consider holding a snap election in Perak, Abdullah said this came under the powers of the Sultan of Perak.
However, he said, Najib would be seeking an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak to inform the Sultan that the BN now had the majority in the State Legislative Assembly.
Asked if the BN would move a vote of no confidence in the present government, Abdullah said it had not been decided yet but remained an option.
Asked if the people of Perak would accept the BN re-administering the state, he said it was up to them.
He, however, believed what was more important for the people of Perak was having a government that could provide stability and progress.
Asked if the matter of the Behrang and Changkat Jering assemblymen who are facing charges of corruption would affect the image of Umno, he said so far they had not been found guilty. Asked further if the BN had a candidate in mind for the Menteri Besar post in Perak, Abdullah said: "Be patient".
Earlier, Abdullah had spoken to a group of civil servants on the importance of being delivery-oriented especially in the uncertain economic situation now.
He said the people were counting on civil servants to be the main facilitators to stimulate the economy. "If before we have rose to the challenge, why not now," he said. However, Abdullah said all parties including administrators and leaders must work together in facing the current challenges.
In Ipoh, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin in a drastic and unprecedented move announced the dissolution of the State Assembly at a press conference before meeting Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak at Istana Kinta to get the Ruler's consent.
However, it did not appear to be, as Mohammad Nizar later left the palace without getting a decision to dissolve the Assembly.
The step to announce the dissolution of the Assembly, seen to be in contravention of the state constitution and a desperate move, appeared to be the final gambit by the PR government to prevent the BN from taking over the state.
The PR government had earlier failed in its bid to force by-elections for Behrang and Changkat Jering when the Election Commission (EC) decided at a meeting on Wednesday that the casual vacancies announced by the Speaker of the State Assembly for them was doubtful.
The political crisis started with the "missing" of the Behrang and Changkat Jering assemblymen after the Bota assemblyman declared he was quitting Umno to join PKR. On Sunday, the Speaker, V. Sivakumar announced in a statement that the Behrang and Changkat Jering Assemblyman had resigned.
However, the two assemblymen denied they had resigned the very same day. On Monday, Sivakumar notified the Perak EC that the two seats had become vacant.
At the same time, the two assemblymen concerned also issued letters to the EC stressing that they had not resigned.
