.JPG "Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu speaks after launching the Perak International Skydiving Championship at the police aviation training centre in Ipoh April 16, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Farhan Najib")
IPOH, April 19 — For the first time, Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu has admitted of attempts to overthrow him as Perak mentri besar.
“A lot of people want to overthrow me since day one (but) I am still the mentri besar. I am still here. I think I am still the mentri besar tomorrow unless I fall down from the stairs and die,” he said in jest.
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the state assembly here today, the Chenderiang assemblyman was asked to comment on a leaked voice recording purportedly featuring a state executive councillor discussing Ahmad Faizal’s performance.
Claiming he has yet to listen to the recording, Ahmad Faizal said authenticity of the recording has yet to be confirmed.
“I maintain my statements previously that in exco, we do not have problems. If there are dealings behind me I would not know but at a glance, everything is running smoothly,” he said, adding that he still has confidence in his excos.
In the four minute plus clip, an unidentified individual was heard saying if an exco meeting was set for 10am, the mentri besar would only arrive sometimes as late as 11am.
He also claimed that the mentri besar had a tendency to skip programmes with the Sultan of Perak.
Perak DAP vice-chairman Abdul Aziz Bari has denied he was the voice in the clip.
To that, Ahmad Faizal said he was not perfect.
“Even when we have press conferences, we start late as there are pre-council meetings or briefings. We are all not perfect but I always try to improve,” he added.
Ahmad Faizal also did not discount the possibility that the timing of the audio was released to sidetrack from the issues at hand.
“It is a smart move but we are still focused,” he said.
