69. Pakatan to King

by Athi Veeranggan, Malaysiakini

Pakatan Rakyat’s relentless pursuit to take control of the central government from Barisan Nasional could well take the opposition coalition to Istana Negara.

Pakatan had already sought an audience with the constitutional monarch to stake its claim on the federal government by sending an official letter to the king a few days ago, PAS Parit Buntar MP Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa told an anti-ISA forum in Penang last night.

If the king grants an audience, which Pakatan leaders hope will happen soon, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim would then produce the names of  parliamentarians backing him to convince the monarch that a change in Putrajaya was inevitable.

Mujahid said the opposition coalition was banking on the king to advise Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to call for an emergency session of Parliament to face the vote of no-confidence which Pakatan intends to table.

Expressing confidence that the king would intervene to thwart a political crisis, Mujahid said the opposition camp was boosted by royal precedents set in its decisive intervention on the appointments of mentris besar for Perak, Perlis and Terengganu after the March general election.

Going the constitutional way

He said Pakatan’s priority was to exhaust all constitutional ways and means to pave the way for a smooth transition of power.

“We will never resort to any unconstitutional, unconventional and undemocratic means and will continue to pursue constitutional means to ensure a smooth transition,” the PAS leader said.

Anwar claims to have the backing of the majority of the country’s 222 MPs, said to be bolstered by defection among government lawmakers, to take over the federal government. The claim has been rubbished as ‘a political bluff’ by BN leaders.

So far, Pakatan’s attempts to trigger a change constitutionally have been futile.

Abdullah has refused to meet Anwar to discuss a smooth transition and the prime minister has also flatly rejected the opposition’s request to call for an emergency session to hold a parliamentary vote of confidence

“So the next stop is Istana Negara and we hope the king will intervene and advise the prime minister to hold an emergency parliamentary session.

“We can then hold a ‘winner take all’ parliamentary vote of confidence and see who commands the majority support of lawmakers,” said Mujahid, who is also the Penang deputy commissioner.