> No confidence motion against BN
Pakatan Rakyat plans to table a motion of no confidence against the Barisan Nasional Perak state government headed by Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir at the next state assembly meeting.
PR also plans to table a motion to dissolve the assembly to pave the way for elections in the state, former PR Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said today.
The next meeting is expected to be held in April, pending consent of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah. Based on the state constitution, the state assembly must sit within six months of the last sitting. The assembly last convened in November last year.
Zambry had on Saturday said he will attend the assembly sitting although Speaker V. Sivakumar had taken action which was considered as not following procedure in suspending and barring him and six state executive councillors from attending the sitting.
"We expect chaos on the first day of the state assembly meeting as the three assemblymen whose state seats have been declared vacant by the Speaker, and the seven Barisan Nasional state executive Council members who were suspended for contempt of the House, may turn up and cause problems," Nizar told reporters today as he moved out of the Mentri Besar's official residence.
Mohammad Nizar, who had previously refused to do so, said he relented out of respect for the regulations and also due to a request by State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim.
He stressed that the move was not a sign of defeat as the court process to decide his status as Mentri Besar was ongoing.
Nizar who yesterday moved out of the Mentri Besar's official residence has filed a suit in the Kuala Lumpur High Court to declare that Zambry’s state government is illegal. The case is due for second mention today, (Monday.)
The PR coalition comprising PAS-DAP-Parti Keadilan Rakyat pact lost the majority in the state legislative assembly when four of its assemblymen left their respective parties, paving the way for the Barisan Nasional to take over the state's administration.
The three who left their parties to become independents friendly to the BN are former PKR assemblymen Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changat Jering) and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and former DAP Jalapang assemblywoman Hee Yit Foong. Bota Assemblyman Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim who had earlier defected from Umno to join PR also rejoined BN about the same time.
The seven BN exco members suspended by the House Rights and Privileges Committee were Zambry (Pangkor), who has been suspended for 18 months, and state executive councillors Hamidah Osman (Sungai Rapat), Datuk Ramly Zahari (Manong), Dr Mah Hang Soon (Chenderiang), Datuk Saarani Mohamad (Kota Tampan), Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid (Kamunting) and Zainol Fadzi Paharudin(Sungai Manik), who were suspended for 12 months.
If the suspension of the seven exco members is upheld, PR would have 28 compared to BN's has 24 (inclusive of three independents supporting the coalition).
Last week, Sivakumar had sought Sultan Azlan's consent to convene an emergency sitting of the House to dissolve the state assembly, but there has been no reply from the palace to his request - theSun.
