Perak MB says rumours of leadership change a ‘neverending story’

IPOH, March 15 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu today dismissed talk of an impending power transition in the state Pakatan Harapan (PH) government as the words of a person with too much free time at hand.

The Perak mentri besar panned Kota Tampan assemblyman Datuk Saarani Mohamad, who is also state Umno chief, for persisting in raising those rumours.

“Whenever he speaks of that issue, he wants Pakatan Harapan to react. It will be a neverending story.

“I would like to suggest to Umno and PAS to be an effective Opposition and work together with the state government for the sake of the people,” Ahmad Faizal told reporters after opening SMK Anderson’s annual sports day here.

He said Saarani had previously preached that it was bad to make a democratically elected government fall.

“But now he is doing the same thing. I cannot understand him,” the MB added.

Saraani claimed yesterday that a PH state executive councillor and Umno assemblymen met recently to plot the removal of Ahmad Faizal as MB.

Ahmad Faizal stressed that his administration is legit and will carry out its responsibilities “to the best of our abilities”.

“We are not here to get Umno or PAS assemblymen to jump to PH to strengthen us,” he said.

He dismissed speculation of any strain between him and the other state executive councillors.

“Since last time, the story of assemblymen and excos came from Saarani. He is hard up to enter the official residence of mentri besar? Mentri besar office? Come to my house. I do not have a problem with that. If he is really hard up for it,” he said.

Ahmad Faizal also dismissed speculation that he would be shuffling the portfolios of his excos.

“The present line up will be maintained. I am very happy with the excos’ performance,” he said.

Talks of impending exco reshuffle surfaced after Abdul Yunus Jamhari was dropped from Perak PKR line up following the completion of PKR party polls.

Abdul Yunus, a Public Amenities, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Plantations Committee chairman, was a former Perak PKR secretary.