Perak Government Falls; BN claims power - Malaysiakini

Perak Government Collapses - Malaysiakini

Barisan Nasional said it now commands the majority needed to form the new state government in Perak.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said at a press conference in Putra Jaya today that the Barisan Nasional has the support of the four former Pakatan Rakyat(PR) Perak assemblymen - three will be "BN-friendly" Independents, while Nasarudin Hashim will rejoin Umno.

Following the latest development, BN and PR now have 28 seats each in the 59-seat assembly. However, the three Independent assemblymen have expressed support towards the BN.

In the March 8 national polls, Pakatan Rakyat won 32 seats against 27 Barisan seats.

All four assemblymen - Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (PKR-Behrang), Osman Jailu (PKR-Changkat Jering), deputy Assembly Speaker Hee Yit Foong (DAP-Jelapang) and Nasarudin (Bota) - were with Najib at the press conference.

Najib, who took over as Perak Umno liaison and BN chief from former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli following Nasarudin's "brief" defection to PKR, said he will meet the Sultan as soon as possible.

He said it is up to the Sultan to decide on Nizar's request for dissolution of the assembly.

Najib said that the three state Pakatan Rakyat representatives have submitted resignation letters to their former parties and have informed the Sultan of their resignation.

"They have also given BN the mandate to select a new Menteri Besar for Perak," he said

At the same venue, Nasarudin denied the claim that he had been abducted.

Najib added that under Article 16(6) of the Perak constitution, if the menteri besar loses the confidence of the people, he is required to resign, together with all the exco members under him.

However, the final decision now hinges on the Sultan of Perak - if he wants to accede to a Pakatan request for dissolution or allows BN to form a new government.

BN mempunyai cukup jumlah Adun untuk membentuk kerajaan baru Perak selepas empat Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) melompat kepadanya secara terbuka dan rasmi hari ini.

Tiga bekas wakil rakyat Pakatan termasuk Adun Jelapang dan juga bekas Timbalan Speaker DUN Perak, Hee Yit Foong akan kekal wakil rakyat bebas tetapi bersama kerajaan BN, kata Timbalam Perdana Menteri.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak berkata beliau akan menghadap Sultan Perak secepat mungkin. Malaysiakini

Najib's press statement

Nasarudin's press statement

In Ipoh, Mohd Nizar left the palace at 5.35pm after meeting the sultan. He briefly told reporters that he had informed the sultan of his request for dissolution.

"It is now up to Tuanku (his highness)," he said with a smile. The meeting lasted almost two hours.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, meanwhile, has accused BN of trying to form Perak government 'by hook or by crook'.

"We are pushing for a dissolution of the state assembly and fresh elections in the state," he told AFP.

"We must go back to the people and get a fresh mandate."

"The BN are trying to form the state government by hook or by crook - more by crook."

Anwar's opposition won five states and a third of parliamentary seats in the general elections in March last year, transforming Malaysia's political landscape.

Since then, the Pakatan Rakyat has won two parliamentary by-elections. Anwar himself had tried to woo BN MPs to form the federal government by Sept 16 last year, but the plan failed to materialise.