Compared to Penang, in Perak, the situation is muddier. The constitution states a Malay Muslim is to be Menteri Besar, but the ruler can waive this requirement if he feels like it. Earlier, one name was proposed, a PAS candidate, even though PAS won less seats compared to PKR and DAP. Then, possibly due to DAP’s disagreement or PKR having more seats than PAS, PKR comes out with another name. DAP, obviously asking for its rights and to appease the large number of Chinese/Indian supporters, has now come up with its own name. It is not clear if DAP proposed a non-Muslim name. Thus we have three names given to the Regent Raja Nazrin. Raja Nazrin. The Regent has met all three party representatives. The Regent has given the coalition until tomorrow morning to submit the final name(s) and EXCO list. PAS says lets Regent choose, but DAP says submit only one final name after discussion.

Star:

The Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah has consented to a DAP-PKR-PAS coalition to form the new state government. His consent was given when leaders of the new ruling coalition had an audience with the Regent at Istana Kinta here yesterday. 

The leaders remained tight-lipped on who the new Mentri Besar would be, saying that the matter would be decided at a tripartite meeting later in the night. 

Two contenders for the Mentri Besar post were among the leaders who met the Regent. They were Perak PAS secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who won the Pasir Panjang state seat, and Perak PKR member Jamaluddin Mohad Radzi, who is the newly-elected Behrang assemblyman. 

Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham said: “Raja Nazrin Shah advised us to submit the names of those nominated for the post of Mentri Besar by tomorrow morning (today) and if possible, work out the portfolios and names of executive councillors needed to set up the new government.”  

This, he said, was to enable the new state government to be sworn in by Wednesday or Thursday. Ngeh, who is the newly-elected Beruas MP and Sitiawan assemblyman, added that the names would be submitted to State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim to be passed on to Raja Nazrin Shah. 

Perak PAS commissioner Ahmad Awang said the names of three candidates, one from each party, for the post of Mentri Besar would be submitted to the palace. The list, including names of state executive councillors, would be submitted by today, he said. 

Ahmad, who declined to name the three, said it was up to the Regent to decide who the Mentri Besar would be.  “Whoever he decides will be accepted by all parties,” he said. 

However, Ngeh, who is the leader of the new ruling coalition, said: “We will submit only one name and the list of executive councillors.”  Asked whether the list will have three names for Mentri Besar, Ngeh said: “No comment. I will inform you tomorrow.”  

However, NST reported that the Regent will pass on the names to the Sultan for his final say.

IPOH: The Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah has consented to the setting up of a coalition government comprising DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Pas.
The swearing-in ceremony would then be held either tomorrow or Thursday.

Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham said this after an audience with Raja Nazrin at Istana Kinta here yesterday to seek his consent over the forming of the new state government. This was confirmed by PKR state chairman Zulkifli Ibrahim and Perak Pas secretary and Pasir Panjang state assemblyman Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who were also at the audience.

He directed the parties to submit their list of nominees for the post of menteri besar by today to enable his father, Sultan Azlan Shah, to decide on who would be most suitable.

Meanwhile, Perak Pas commissioner Ahmad Awang at a press conference held shortly after, said the party would abide by the decision made by Sultan Azlan.
He said it did not matter if the menteri besar’s post was given to a DAP candidate.

Ahmad was present during the audience with Raja Nazrin together with Behrang state assembyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming, who is also the Taiping MP and Pantai Remis state assemblyman.

The state constitution rules that the menteri besar has to be a Malay Muslim, but Section 12(2) provides the sultan the discretion to waive the requirement.

In the just-concluded general elections, DAP secured the highest number of state seats with 18, followed by PKR with seven and Pas, six, in the 59-seat state assembly.

PAS, in a move to appease the non-Muslims in Perak, is trying to reassure them that the new government will not be a PAS government since the MB (if from PAS) will be representing the coalition.

IPOH: PAS reassured the people of Perak that the new government will not be a PAS government. State PAS commissioner Ahmad Awang said the party would just be a partner of the new ruling coalition government even if the new Mentri Besar were to be from PAS.

“No policies will be implemented before consultation with the other two parties in the coalition government – DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). “This is not a PAS government. It is a mixed government of the people in which PAS is a part of.  “Similarly, if the Mentri Besar was from the DAP or PKR, the government would not be a government of either party,” he told a packed press conference after an audience with the Regent of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah at Istana Kinta here yesterday.

Ahmad said the people should not be afraid of PAS’ participation in the government as it was not a political party to be feared as portrayed by the Barisan Nasional. “We will not discriminate against other races or religions. We have proved ourselves in Kelantan that we have the support of all the people.

“We realise that we only hold six state seats as compared with 18 by the DAP and seven by PKR,” he said.

Meanwhile, PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa has also assured the people of Perak that there would be no major policy changes, especially social ones.

“The most important thing is to have a prudent and clean government to bring justice to the community and all races. “We do not want to form a coalition government for only one term but hope that it will be one that lasts 50 years and beyond,” he said.

Now, amidst all this, DAP supporters will be wondering: Has DAP joined forces with PAS. If not how can they are willing to work with PAS to form government in Perak? What’s with “DAP-PKR-PAS” coalition term being used now? DAP has not issued any statement yet. DAP has declared before that it will NEVER cooperate with PAS due to Islamic state issue. So, how now?

What else, enters MCA crying out that DAP has duped the voters:

DAP has duped voters, says Ka Chuan

IPOH: The DAP has revealed its “true face” to the people by cooperating with PAS to form the next state government, Perak MCA chief Datuk Ong Ka Chuan said. 

“All this while, the DAP has been denying that it is working with PAS when they sought the support of the Chinese community in Perak during the campaigning period,” he said. “After getting their votes, the DAP is doing otherwise,” he said yesterday when commenting on the new ruling coalition government of the DAP, PKR and PAS. 

The DAP, he said, should apologise to the voters for having duped them about not working together with PAS when wooing them before the just-concluded polls. Ong, who is also the MCA secretary-general, said the DAP might even go to the extent of allowing a PAS leader to be the new Mentri Besar. 

“How are they going to explain to the Chinese community? The DAP had not been honest right from the start,” he asked. The DAP should have told the community right from the beginning that they were cooperating with PAS so that the voters would be able to make a wise decision at the ballot box, he said. 

“Now the DAP is doing otherwise. I feel sad that the situation has become like this,” he added. “The people gave the DAP their trust and this is how the DAP is repaying them – by working with an Islamist party,” said the newly-elected Tanjong Malim MP.  

DAP in hot soup!!!

to add to its misery, HINDRAF and the Indian community are expecting no less than a Deputy CM post. The community is quite upset that Anwar Ibrahim has said that “this is not the time to talk about posts”. If there are capable candidates among the Indian representatives from either DAP or PKR (I counted 6), they should be given a chance. If the Penang Deputy post can be given to Malay to appease the voters, why not in Perak for the Indians who supported the three parties? That is their argument. Sources already said that compromise in the form of two deputies for each state is being worked out, but nothing is finalised yet.

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