IPOH, Dec 7 — Perak Opposition Leader Datuk Saarani Mohamad today claimed that the plot to remove Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu is still active.
The Kota Tampan assemblyman also told reporters that an Umno assemblyman was informed on Wednesday that the move to oust Ahmad Faizal was supported by Putrajaya.
He maintained that Barisan Nasional (BN) had nothing to do with the plot, reiterating that it was engineered from within Pakatan Harapan.
“The whole plot was hatched by Tebing Tinggi,” Saarani reiterated, pointing fingers at Abdul Aziz Bari, the Perak DAP deputy chairman and Tebing Tinggi assemblyman.
“The last contact he had with one of my assemblyman was on Wednesday at the state assembly canteen where he told Alor Pongsu assemblyman (Datuk Sham Mat Sahat) that the plan to topple Ahmad Faizal is still on and he claims to have the backing of Putrajaya,” Saarani added.
He said Abdul Aziz had also met Sham on December 1 after approaching Rungkup assemblyman Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya on November 2, followed by Maslin Sham Razman (Bukit Chandan) on November 14, Khairil Shahril Mohamed (Bota) on November 21, and Jurij Jalaludin (Lubuk Merbau) on November 23.
Saarani confirmed that he and the five assemblymen were the ones summoned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday over the matter.
He further claimed that two of the five assemblymen were offered exco post or a position in a state government-linked company if Ahmad Faizal is removed.
Asserting that BN did not mastermind the plot, Saarani said he had warned Ahmad Faizal even before the controversy erupted but he was given the cold shoulder.
He said he had sent a Whatsapp message to Ahmad Faizal and his special adviser, Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin, on November 18 to warn them of the move to oust the Mentri Besar a week before it made the news.
“They read the message but did not respond,” he said.
Asked on his advice to Ahmad Faizal on how best he should handle the situation, Saarani used football as an analogy.
“As the manager, if I see a player tends to score own goals, I would remove that player and replace him with someone else,” he said.
On his meeting with MACC, Saarani said he was at the commission office from 3pm to 8pm.
“They took longer time with me as they wanted me to verify all five statutory declarations of the assemblymen,” he said.
Saarani was previously reported that there was a high possibility Perak could face another state election as there is a movement in the state executive council to topple Ahmad Faizal.
Saarani had alleged that this was due to the conflict brewing among the state executive councillors against the Perak mentri besar.
