Umno: Possible new elections in Perak

‘This is due to trouble brewing between MB and state executive councillors’

SUNGAI SIPUT: There is a possibility of state elections to be held in Perak, claims state Umno chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad.

He said this was due to the troubles brewing between the state executive councillors and Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

Saarani claimed there were plans to pass a vote of no confidence against the Mentri Besar because more than one of the exco members had approached five to six Umno assemblymen for support.

“These exco members need at least two Umno assemblymen to support their motion, and thus they have been coming up with various offers.

“However, all my assemblymen have pledged not to support them in this move.

“Umno has its own way to form the state government and not through betrayal,” he said after party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi met with Perak Umno members here.

During a press conference, Dr Ahmad Zahid said Umno was prepared for the possibility of state elections in Perak.

However, he did not elaborate on the mat- ter, and left the press conference abruptly.

The media then asked Saarani to clarify, and he said there were 31 assemblymen from Pakatan Harapan.

“Definitely, 28 of them will support the motion, excluding the Mentri Besar, and two former Umno members – Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohd Radzi and Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin who joined Pakatan.

“Umno and PAS assemblymen will remain neutral, and thus the speaker will take into account the majority and the motion will be passed.

“But 28 assemblymen will not be enough to form a state government, and thus they are desperate to get two assemblymen from Umno to support them to change the Mentri Besar,” he said.

Saarani feels that the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis would be repeated, if the Sultan of Perak found the need to dissolve the state assembly due to the problems among Pakatan leaders.

He questioned how exco members could go against statements made by the Mentri Besar.

“This is what is happening. When the Mentri Besar announced that a new airport will be built in Behrang, the next day an exco member is against it.

“When he said no to 999-year land titles for new village folk, the next moment another exco member gives a differing view,” he said.

When contacted, some of the exco members said they were unaware of such a plot.

Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said Saarani mentioned the same issue during a talk in Lenggong recently.

“Within us we have never heard anything like this. So this is new to me,” said the former mentri besar from Amanah.

DAP’s Howard Lee said talk about Pakatan buying over Umno assemblymen had been occurring since their second week in office.

“During the last state assembly they mentioned the vote of no-confidence, but it never happened. All the 10 excos are fairly okay with the Mentri Besar, and I for sure work closely with the MB,” he said.