IPOH, April 23 — Under fire over a press interview, Perak DAP vice-chairman Abdul Aziz Bari said his party is not out to bring down Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
The Tebing Tinggi assemblyman said if Ahmad Faizal falls, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) state government would follow.
“I have pledged my loyalty. I understand the choice of the mentri besar is by PH and I am not here to go against PH. A change in mentri besar is by PH leadership and not by way of vote of no-confidence,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the state assembly here today.
Aziz, who is also State Education, Science, Environment and Green Technology Committee chairman, was commenting on a report in The Star today that he was ordered to attend a show of solidarity for Ahmad Faizal.
Abdul Aziz told the daily that Ahmad Faizal lacked the character and ability to be the mentri besar.
“We want a leader, not a joker,” Abdul Aziz was quoted as saying.
Asked if he was misquoted or whether his comment was made off the record, Abdul Aziz claimed he told the journalist to be careful with what was written.
“I treat journalists as friends, citizens doing their work, contributing towards society, simple as that,” he said.
He declined to comment on Ahmad Faizal’s response describing him as a thorn in his side because of his own personal mentri besar ambitions.
Abdul Aziz said the mentri besar was entitled to his opinion.
“I do not want to comment as I do not want to be seen as plotting (against Ahmad Faizal),” he said.
Asked if his ties with Ahmad Faizal were strained, Aziz insisted that they remained cordial.
“We are still friends… can put a lie detector to that.
“Even like yesterday, how can they say (we were) ordered. We were asked to come,” he said, adding that he was considering keeping quiet and only communicating via written statements from now on.
Last week, a four-minute clip was shared online and featured an unidentified individual, believed to be a state exco, saying that if an exco meeting was set for 10am, the mentri besar would only arrive sometimes as late as 11am.
The speaker also claimed the mentri besar had a tendency to skip programmes with the Sultan of Perak.
Aziz has denied he is the voice in the clip.
