> PKR to set up legal team

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition will not recognize Pangkor assemblyman Datuk Dr Zambry Kadir as the new Mentri Besar of Perak as it still considers Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin the rightful MB.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the PR top leadership has decided that a legal panel will be formed to study the laws, including the state constitution, and find ways to overcome the state government crisis.

On DAP chairman Karpal Singh’s decision to sue the Sultan of Perak and the new BN state government on Tuesday, Anwar said the legal views of Karpal will be taken into consideration by the team.

When asked if PR agreed that the Sultan should be sued for allegedly acting beyond the State Constitution, Anwar said this is a question for the legal team to sort out.

At the press conference today, Anwar said they regret that Nizar was ill-treated this morning when he went to his state office to carry out his duty as an MB.

"This is not the way or the culture of the Malay community to treat an MB. Umno is reminded to be polite with the MB," he said.

He also condemned the act by Umno to label Nizar as a traitor who defied the order of the Sultan to resign as MB.

"I expected this to happen as the Umno and BN newspaper would use this announcement to attack Nizar. I would also like to urge the people to protest peacefully, with no provocation made, and also to the police not to take any violent action against the people," he said.

Asked if the PR is still hoping to have an audience with the Sultan, Anwar said the PR had made a formal request and still hoped the Sultan would meet the coalition's top leadership and hear its concerns on the crisis.

Asked If PR would now push for an anti-hopping law, he said the PR will have to study this carefully because if hopping is not allowed, the resignation of an MP will disqualify him for contesting in an election for five years.

"If an MP says that the party he is serving is too corrupt, what would you do? We have to allow resignation and another law must be created (so that the MP would not be barred from standing in an election)," he said - theSun.