Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said that he will seek consent from Sultan Azlan Shah by 5pm Wednesday to dissolve the state assembly due to increasing uncertainty in the state. (read here)
Feb 4, 09 3:11pm
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is scheduled to hold a press conference at the federal administrative capital of Putrajaya at 4pm.
And as Pakatan Rakyat's grip on Perak appears to be loosening by the minute, speculation is rife that the incoming premier will be announcing Barisan Nasional's takeover of the state.
It is also learnt that all BN state assemblypersons and parliamentarians in Perak have been summoned to Putrajaya.
Should the takeover materialise, it would give Najib - who is set to take over the premiership in March - a much needed boost while dealing a blow to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.
Earlier report
Perak Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin is expected to have an audience with the Sultan to seek the dissolution of the state assembly, Malaysiakini reports.
If the Sultan accedes to the request, a snap state election will have to be called in view of the present political upheaval in Perak.
It is learnt that Nizar is now waiting to be summoned by Sultan Azlan Shah for the audience and will be calling a press conference soon after.
The Pakatan Rakyat-led government is at the verge of collapse in the wake of resignations from three of its state assemblypersons.
Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (PKR-Behrang), Osman Jailu (PKR-Changkat Jering) and deputy assembly speaker Hee Yit Foong (DAP-Jelapang) had this morning submitted official letters to speaker V Sivakumar to express their intention to become independent representatives.
This afternoon Hee confirmed to reporters in Ipoh that she had resigned from DAP to become an independent.
Two more to defect, Najib to call PC
At the same time, political circles told Malaysiakini that two more Pakatan representatives are in the midst of leaving their parties. They too are expected to become independents.
All five are eventually expected to join BN.
The Perak sultan will now play a pivotal role on whether to agree with Mohmad Nizar in dissolving the state assembly or hand over the state government to the one which commands the majority, which in this case could be BN.
But it appears that the sultan will go for the second option by allowing a transfer of power without a snap poll.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is calling a press conference at 4pm in Putrajaya. It is speculated that he may announced the possible takeover of the state government.
All Perak BN parliamentarians and state assemblypersons have been summoned to Putrajaya for Najib's press conference.
With Hee's defection, Pakatan now has 29 seats with DAP (17), PKR (6) and PAS (6), BN has 27 with Umno (26) and MCA (1), and three independents[Full report to follow]
In an earlier report by Malaysiakini, the Menteri Besar was quoted as saying that Pakatan Rakyat, which has a one-seat majority in the state government, is considering the possibility of dissolving the state assembly to pave the way for snap polls.
"We are in process of thinking about it. (You'll know) when the time comes," he said in response to a question at a press conference late last night after chairing a meeting at his official residence in Ipoh attended by most of the Pakatan state representatives and top state leaders from PAS, DAP and PKR.
With Jamaluddin and Osman having declared themselves as "Indpendents", the Pakatan Rakyat is left with just 30 seats in the 59-seat state assembly.
Barisan Nasional merely needs the duo and another representative to join the coalition in order to wrest back the state from Pakatan and end its 10-month rule.
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