KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 ― Datuk Seri Ahmad Said failed to follow protocol in his bid for a no-confidence vote against Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman, an Umno lawyer said today.

Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun said that a motion of no-confidence must be submitted formally to the Speaker's office at least a fortnight before the state assembly sitting convenes.

“I am not too familiar with the Terengganu state assembly laws, but what I can recall is that vote of no-confidence must be by way of written notice, and it cannot be brought on the day of the sitting itself,” he told reporters when met at the High Court here.

“It must be brought within 14 days (before the state assembly sitting) and you must state the grounds of why you want to bring motion,” Hafarizam explained.

Ahmad, who was forced to resign in 2014 as Terengganu mentri besar, tabled a motion of no-confidence against his replacement in the state assembly yesterday.

Terengganu Speaker Datuk Mohd Zubir Embong subsequently rejected Ahmad’s bid for a no-confidence vote against the incumbent Ahmad Razif.

National news agency Bernama quoted the Speaker as saying Ahmad failed to follow procedure when he made the proposal.

Ahmad, together with two Umno assemblymen in Terengganu, had temporarily resigned from the Malay ruling party shortly after he was forced out of office, causing Barisan Nasional (BN) to become a minority government for just under 48 hours.

The crisis was defused when all three lawmakers returned to Umno after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak resolved matters with Ahmad.

The Star Online news portal reported Ahmad, who is Kijal assemblyman, as claiming that Razif tried to ridicule him on issues related to housing, the setting up of the Kuala Nerus district and of a fast food outlet called Chicken Cottage.

During the short-lived Terengganu crisis in 2014, BN became a minority government when its 17 seats in the 32-seat state legislative assembly dropped to 14 after the resignations of three Umno assemblymen. The opposition holds 15 seats.

Umno holds 17 seats, PAS 14 and PKR one.