No condition for talks to resolve Perak crisis, PR told
(The Star) KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat must not set terms or conditions on Barisan Nasional if it wants to talk to the coalition about cooperation to resolve the Perak political crisis, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
The Barisan chairman said it was important for both sides to respect each other.
“We’ve got to respect the rights of the Opposition. The Opposition has got to respect the rights of the Government,” he said after attending the ceremony to announce the discovery of the oil palm genome by Sime Darby Bhd here yesterday.
Najib was asked if Barisan was still open to the idea of meeting Pakatan to jointly resolve the Perak issue.
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang was reported to have said that he wanted a meeting with Najib to discuss the crisis while Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had also said that Pakatan would not turn down any such opportunity.
Asked if Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir should convene a state assembly sitting to prove that he had the majority in the assembly, Najib said it would be up to Dr Zambry to decide.
“We have submitted our appeal to the Court of Appeal. We have to respect the due process of the law.
“Let’s take it from there,” he added.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the people’s interest should come first in whatever decision made about Perak and urged all parties involved to find a quick solution.
“We are worried if there is no comprehensive approach to tackle the problem because it has dragged on for some time.
“Maybe all the parties can look at other approaches although it is linked to the Constitution,” he said, adding that whatever decision was made, Barisan wanted a strong government in Perak, capable of developing the state.
In his blog, Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah urged the Sultan of Perak to dissolve the state assembly as a way to solve the political turmoil, adding that the state Constitution made no provision for the Mentri Besar’s removal by any other means except through his own resignation or a vote of no-confidence.
However, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said that there was no Standing Order for a “vote of no-confidence” to remove the Mentri Besar or Prime Minister in both the state assemblies and Parliament.
He said Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had no right to ask for a dissolution as he no longer had the majority in the assembly and that a state election was also not necessary, unless there was a “hung” assembly with both sides enjoying 50-50 support.
Gerakan secretary-general Teng Chang Yeow said Barisan Nasional should explore and seek other political solutions, including allowing the Pakatan Rakyat government to continue ruling the state or agree to the dissolution of the assembly.
