After the call, Nizar said that Nasarudin’s wife Datin Umi said her husband had been kidnapped and brought to see Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Thursday February 5, 2009

Nizar leaves fate of govt in Sultan’s hands

IPOH: Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin failed yesterday to get the royal consent to dissolve the state assembly and call for fresh elections.

After a one-hour-and-40-minute meeting with Sultan Azlan Shah in Istana Kinta, a serious-faced Nizar emerged at 5.35pm and told reporters waiting outside the palace gates: “I have sought an audience with the Sultan and requested for the dissolution of the state assembly. I will leave it to him to decide whether to allow the dissolution.”

At a press conference earlier, Nizar announced that the remaining 28 Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen had agreed to fresh elections, in view of the current situation.

“As you all know, two of our exco members have been pinched from us by Barisan Nasional,” said Nizar who also blamed Barisan for orchestrating the entire “fiasco”.

In the middle of the press conference, which was delayed by two hours to 3pm, Nizar received a phone call from the wife of Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hashim.

After the call, Nizar said that Nasarudin’s wife Datin Umi said her husband had been kidnapped and brought to see Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

At a second press conference later in the evening, Nizar appealed to the Ruler to give the people the right to choose their government.

“I told Tuanku that if we follow the majority, there would be crossovers from time to time and it would not solve the problem.”

Nizar also said the Sultan would need some time to study laws such as the state constitution before announcing his decision.

“I am sure whatever decision he makes will be fair to the people of Perak and all political parties,” said Nizar.

Nizar added that the present government was still in power and would perform its duties as usual.

He later insisted that the two former PKR members had resigned as assemblymen and that their seats – Behrang and Changkat Jering – were now vacant.

The same applied to Hee Yit Foong as she too had resigned as Jelapang assemblyman.

“She had tendered her resignation to the state,” he said.