KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has summoned all Terengganu Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers for a meeting tonight in the federal administrative capital as the ruling coalition heads into a state leadership crisis with the desertion of three elected representatives.
Citing an unnamed source, The Star daily reported the BN assemblymen to be making their way to Putrajaya, to discuss its options to end the crisis, including dissolving the state assembly and holding fresh polls.
“All assemblymen have been summoned for the meeting tonight.
“The meeting is set to discuss the current political turmoil,” the source was quoted saying.
Three state lawmakers quit Umno in the last 24 hours to become independent representatives and have yet to declare their political allegiance, effectively making the BN a minority government in Terengganu.
The BN now has only 14 seats to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact’s 15 in the 32-member state legislative assembly.
Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said quit Umno to become an independent assemblyman late yesterday shortly after being replaced by Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman, plunging the state administration into a political crisis.
Ajil assemblyman Ghazali Taib announced his resignation shortly after Ahmad, followed by Bukit Besi assemblyman Roslee Daud today.
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.
