KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 ― Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied asking for a meeting with Melaka governor Tun Mohd Ali Rustam following reports of a possible change in the state government leadership.
The PKR president said he had not asked Mohd Ali for a meeting, Malaysiakini reported today.
“There was news claiming I had requested to have an audience. No.
“Also there has yet to be a request for me to meet with the governor,” the Port Dickson MP was quoted saying after a walkabout in his Negri Sembilan parliamentary constituency.
Anwar was asked to comment on news reports of an attempted coup against the Umno-led Melaka government under Chief Minister Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali.
“People informed [me] but there is nothing concrete.
“I just listened to reports. There is nothing concrete as far as I'm concerned,” Anwar was quoted saying.
Rumours of a plot to remove Sulaiman as chief minister first emerged in August and was revived earlier this week with anonymous sources claiming crossover attempts.
Umno currently holds 13 seats in the 28-seat state legislative assembly, while Bersatu holds two. The Opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition controls 11 -- PKR has two, DAP seven, and Amanah two. Two more are held by independents.
Malaysiakini had yesterday cited an unnamed PKR source saying the political turmoil in Melaka was due to an internal conflict within the ruling Umno and its state allies, and not stemming from any overtures by PH.
The news agency also reported that four of assemblymen were dissatisfied with Sulaiman’s leadership and named them as former Melaka chief minister Idris Haron (Umno-Sungai Udang), Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (Umno-Pantai Kundor), Datuk Noor Effendi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas), and Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu).
However, Melaka Perikatan Nasional chief Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen has rejected allegations of a ouster plot against Sulaiman.
