KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — Newly-minted Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman is expected to meet with Datuk Seri Najib Razak at Seri Perdana only tomorrow, an aide to the prime minister said today amid a roiling political crisis in the east coast state.
The press secretary refuted an earlier news report that Najib, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, is closeted in a brainstorm meeting in the federal administrative capital tonight to resolve the internal party crisis that might inadvertently catapult Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to power in Terengganu.
Najib had returned to his home state of Pahang earlier today for an event that had been scheduled, the aide said.
“My bos 2nite at tilawah quran in kuantan,” the aide told The Malay Mail Online in a Whatsapp text message, on condition of anonymity.
Citing an unnamed source, The Star daily had earlier reported Najib calling all Terengganu BN elected representatives for a meeting in Putrajaya to discuss ways to end the state's leadership crisis following the desertion of three of their colleagues, including dissolving the state assembly and holding fresh polls.
Razif is expected to clock for work as the new mentri besar before 8am tomorrow before flying out to Putrajaya for a noon meeting with Najib to discuss the ongoing power struggle in the northern state, state news agency Bernama reported this evening.
Other Terengganu BN lawmakers are also expected to attend the pow-wow.
Terengganu plunged into a crisis when three state lawmakers quit Umno in the last 24 hours to become independent representatives and have yet to declare their political allegiance.
The BN is now effectively a minority government in Terengganu, having only 14 seats to PR’s 15 in the 32-member state legislative assembly.
Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said started the ball rolling when he quit Umno late yesterday shortly after being replaced by Razif, together with Ajil assemblyman Ghazali Taib and followed today by Bukit Besi assemblyman Roslee Daud.
As things stand, PR commands 15 seats but could control the state assembly should the trio cross over or decide to become PR-friendly independents.
Ahmad, who was reappointed Terengganu mentri besar for a second term on May 9 last year, was forced to step down from office mid-term, reportedly due to the BN’s weakest polls performance in a decade.
The embattled lawmaker claimed he had asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to allow him to step down as mentri besar after his daughter’s wedding reception on May 17 but the Umno president reportedly disregarded the request as a “personal matter”, prompting Ahmad to quit the party.
