Kedah will not dissolve assembly, says MB
The Kedah Pakatan Rakyat government has ignored independent MP Zulkifli Noordin’s warning of a “second Perak” and will not seek to dissolve its state assembly. Its leaders, however, are “extremely on guard” and will keep a close watch on all its 20 PR assemblymen to ensure they remain loyal to the coalition, unlike in Perak where three lawmakers turned independent and caused the collapse of the pact’s government in February 2009.
Written by Clara Chooi and Asrul Hadi AbdullahSani, The Malaysian Insider
The Kedah Pakatan Rakyat government has ignored independent MP Zulkifli Noordin’s warning of a “second Perak” and will not seek to dissolve its state assembly.
Its leaders, however, are “extremely on guard” and will keep a close watch on all its 20 PR assemblymen to ensure they remain loyal to the coalition, unlike in Perak where three lawmakers turned independent and caused the collapse of the pact’s government in February 2009.
Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that he had no immediate plans to seek a dissolution of the state assembly since none in his team of lawmakers had indicated plans to defect.
“I just had a discussion with them last night and I am very confident of their loyalty.
“There is no problem in the PR. The only problems are the assemblymen from Barisan Nasional,” he said when contacted.
The PAS leader scoffed at Zulkifli’s prediction that “a certain PR government” would soon fall like Perak had because of the closeness in the seat distribution between PR and BN in the state assembly.
“If he said that the Kedah majority is small, then how did the Kelantan (PAS) government manage to stay in power with only a one seat-majority?
“If other PKR members think like Zulkifli, then not only a few will jump — he cannot declare that a few will jump like him because we are all on good terms in PR,” he claimed.
Azizan believes his assemblymen will be steadfast. — file pic
Azizan also went further to challenge Zulkifli to step down as an MP and re-contest his Kulim-Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat if he felt he was influential enough.
“The people no longer support him… he is no longer credible in Kedah. If he is brave then he should resign and stand for re-election.
“If he really thinks that he has influence then he should resign and we will let our branch leader to go against him,” he said.
Zulkfili, who was sacked from PKR, issued the purported warning on Wednesday and advised a “certain PR state government” to quickly seek for a dissolution.
“It will be a shocker,” he warned, but did not name which state government he was referring to.
He also claimed that two PKR MPs and one assemblyman would soon leave the party.
Kedah PKR chief Johari Abdul admitted that all PR leaders in the state were presently “extremely on guard,” and at the slightest indication of another defection, the state assembly would be dissolved.
“I am an ex-Umno guy myself and I have plenty of friends still in Umno. We are keeping our eyes and ears open, but for now, there is still not indication of anything.
“One thing is for certain, there is no way that any one of the PAS assemblymen will jump. They are bound by the bai’ah (pledge) that they have taken,” he said.
