KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — Perak’s caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu is unlikely to call for a state election despite losing a confidence vote as his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia lags behind Umno in the state in terms of strength, a political observer has said.
Political analyst Prof Azmi Hassan said an emergency declaration on Perak could be a likely option if a snap poll in Perak is called, but said that Ahmad Faizal was not expected to ask the Perak sultan to dissolve the Perak state assembly.
“Yes, most probably an emergency proclamation will be used to thwart any election attempt if that is the case.
“But strategically, Bersatu do not want any state election since comparing Bersatu’s strength with Umno, the latter is far more stronger in Perak. So I don’t think the MB will propose that the DUN be dissolved,” he told Malay Mail when contacted.
Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Prof Jayum Jawan said Ahmad Faizal’s failure to win the vote of confidence would mean that his entire Perak Cabinet is deemed to go down with him as well.
He noted that Ahmad Faizal does have the option of requesting the Perak sultan to dissolve the Perak state assembly and said such requests are “normally granted”, but added that the sultan could also appoint a state lawmaker whom he thinks has majority support.
“Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin may have Perak as a test case in preparation for GE15,” he told Malay Mail when suggesting that prime minister and Bersatu president Muhyiddin could use a Perak state polls to test voter support ahead of the 15th general election due by 2023.
Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, senior associate with political and policy risk consultancy Vriens & Partners, believed that a snap polls in Perak would be unlikely due to the Covid-19 risk.
“An election is unlikely anytime soon, given the Covid-19 cases amidst a prolonged infection wave. It’s not politically palatable for any party right now, and in Perak there are indications that it will be a case of choosing the new MB amongst the current ruling state government parties,” he said.
Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Prof Sivamurugan Pandian said a Perak state election can be avoided in the current situation where Ahmad Faizal has lost majority support to be mentri besar, via the two options of installing a new MB or declaring an emergency.
“The appointment of Perak MB is the prerogative of the (Perak) Sultan who may use the same approach taken back in 2009 by the late Sultan Azlan or by the Agong in March to avoid state snap polls.
“If all parties failed to agree to a MB candidate, then the palace may consider to proclaim emergency to avoid what had happened during Sabah state elections recently,” he told Malay Mail when contacted, seemingly alluding to the September Sabah state polls where big gatherings coupled with failure to comply with standard operating procedures were cited as contributing to the third wave of Covid-19 cases in the country.
In 2009, a constitutional crisis was sparked in Perak by the defection of three Pakatan Rakyat state assemblymen to be independents, which then resulted in a deadlock with then ruling PR and state opposition Barisan Nasional holding 28 seats each apart from the three independents.
At that time, PR’s Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin who was then Perak mentri besar had asked the Perak sultan for consent to dissolve the Perak state assembly to pave the way for the Perak state polls.
The Perak sultan, however, used his discretion under the Perak state constitution to not grant consent for the Perak state assembly’s dissolution as requested by Nizar, and instead ordered Nizar to resign from his post after being convinced that he had ceased to command majority support following the Perak ruler’s meeting with 31 state assemblymen from BN and its supporters.
The Perak sultan subsequently appointed Umno’s Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir as the new mentri besar.
On Friday morning, Ahmad Faizal lost a vote of confidence in the Perak state assembly, as a combined 48 state assemblymen from Umno and PH voted against him, while only 10 voted in his favour (four from Bersatu, three from PAS, one from Umno and the remaining two being independents), and another vote was a spoilt vote.
In the 59-seat Perak legislative assembly, Bersatu is relatively weak as it only has five seats including Ahmad Faizal himself, while its allies Umno and PAS has 25 and three seats respectively, while the rival Pakatan Harapan coalition has 24 votes collectively, and with the remaining two being an independent-turned-Gerakan member and an independent.
Ahmad Faizal on Friday said he could advise the Perak sultan to dissolve the Perak state assembly but noted the situation was not conducive for a state election, saying that he should instead give his support to any replacement selected by the Perak ruler for the mentri besar post.
Ahmad Faizal on Friday said that the motion for the vote of confidence should have been tabled after his scheduled presentation for the Perak’s Budget 2021 that afternoon.
Ahmad Faizal on Friday said he had informed the Perak sultan that he had lost majority support, and said the state ruler will have several audiences before deciding on a state assemblyman who has the majority to form government.
Yesterday, Ahmad Faizal announced that he had officially resigned as Perak mentri besar by sending in a resignation letter to the Perak sultan, with his state executive council to then be automatically terminated under the law.
