Pakatan still the government, says Ngeh
By Shannon Teoh (The Malaysian Insider)
IPOH, Feb 4 — Perak senior state exco member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham has called Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman Datuk Seri Najib’s claim over the state government illegal.
The Perak DAP chief said that a vote of no-confidence in the sitting government would then trigger a takeover but until then Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will continue to govern the state.
“I assure the people of Perak that they need not panic as PR is still in government until the assembly is dissolved, even as a minority government,” he said.
He expressed confidence that Sultan Azlan Shah would grant a dissolution of the assembly as requested by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin earlier today.
He said that in a book of his collected writings and speeches, the ruler had once written that under normal circumstances, it is taken for granted that the ruler will not withhold consent for a dissolution.
“Usually, the Sultan will not involve himself in the politics of government,” he said, and cited Raja Muda Dr Raja Nazrin Shah’s statement yesterday that the role of the palace is that of a neutral and unifying factor.
The PR state government is also due to make an official statement on the matter later tonight.
