Pakatan Rakyat still backs Nizar as Perak MB

UPDATED

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 — As expected, the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council met today and immediately backed Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin as the “rightful Menteri Besar of Perak” although Sultan Azlan Shah had just sworn in Barisan Nasional’s pick, Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir.

“We regret and condemn the way he was treated this morning,” coalition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told a press conference here, adding they would seek an audience with the Perak ruler.

Nizar was asked to leave his office in the Perak State Secretariat within an hour of turning for work at 9.50am. His office was also ransacked with all files missing but was allowed to keep the recently-purchased Toyota Camry official car until Zambry;s swearing in. Nizar’s Pakatan Rakyat state executive councillors also shared the same fate.

The Perak Pakatan Rakyat said it will sue the Sultan and the new state government at the Ipoh High Court next Tuesday over the political impasse and appointment of the Barisan Nasional state government. Monday is a public holiday for Thaipusam.

“The decison of the Sultan of Perak can be questioned in a court of law,” said DAP chairman Karpal Singh earlier, adding the sultan had acted beyond the powers conferred to him in dismissing Nizar’s administration.

Anwar reiterated the threat to sue, saying “Our panel of lawyers are studying this” but sidestepped the question about specifics of any suit.

Asked if the coalition will request the sultan to retract his order, Anwar said, “Now we are seeking an audience.”

Perak state assembly speaker V Sivakumar had earlier written to the state ruler seeking permission to convene an emergency state assembly sitting and to postpone Zambry’s swearing-in at the Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar. But he was unsuccessful.

The Pakatan Rakyat electoral pact swept to power with 31 seats, comprising DAP’s 18, PKR’s 8 and Pas’ 6 in last March’s general elections. Sultan Azlan Shah delayed appointing a Menteri Besar until the pact agreed on Nizar as the state constitution only allows a Malay to be Perak chief executive.

Although the Pakatan Rakyat government swelled its ranks to 32 in the 59-seat assembly with Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasharudin Hashim’s defection from Umno to PKR, it was finally toppled when Nasharudin returned to Umno and three state representatives, two from PKR and one from DAP, turned independent two days ago.

Sultan Azlan Shah summoned both coalitions to his Ipoh palace, Istana Kinta, and decided that Nizar had lost the majority in the assembly, commanding him to quit. Nizar has refused and last night fierily said he would defend his administration to the “last drop of blood”.

Speaking about the tear gas outside the Ubudiah Mosque today, Anwar urged everyone to remain calm and pleaded with the police to carry out their duties professionally and “not arouse any provocation or chaos”.

“Right now there are all sorts of spontaneous reactions shown by the people to the crisis in Perak,” he said.
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