Terengganu crisis: PAS not interested in enticing assemblymen, says state commissioner

(The Star) – PAS are not interested in enticing the three former Barisan Nasional assemblymen who turned independent, in order to form a new state government.

Instead, state PAS commissioner Satiful Bahri Mamat said the opposition party prefers to battle it out in fresh polls.

“We are not interested in courting the three. For us, we prefer to leave it to the rakyat and let them choose their government in a fresh state polls.

“We want the state government to be dissolved. The fact is Barisan now do not have the majority to govern the state. Leave it to the people as it is the most gentlemanly thing to do. After all, they caused this problem themselves,” said Satiful at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Hours after Seberang Takir assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman was appointed as the new Mentri Besar, his predecessor Datuk Seri Ahmad Said announced his resignation from Umno.

Joining him was Ajil assemblyman Ghazali Taib and Bukit Besi rep Roslee Daud.

The situation has led to Barisan only having 14 reps to Pakatan Rakyat’s 15 in the 32-seat assembly.

However, state legal advisor Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid has insisted that the state assembly Speaker counted as a representative of the ruling state government, giving a seat ratio of 15:15:

To a question if the trio offered to join PAS, Satiful said “we will discuss first”.

“At the moment they left Umno to become independent so the question of them joining PAS does not arise,” said the Paka assemblyman.

He claimed the conflict within Terengganu Umno gave Pakatan an advantage if the state went to the polls.

“From our observation, as believe the people of Terengganu want us (PAS) to take over the government.

“Umno’s internal problems and our good performance in the Kajang by-election recently means the momentum is with us,” said Satiful.