NOVEMBER 23 — A minority government is just north of Putrajaya, in Ipoh. It’s a 2 hour and 20 minutes’ drive.
On Monday, Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Kota Tampan assemblyman Datuk Saarani Mohamad was sworn in as Perak Mentri Besar (MB) in front of Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah at Istana Iskandariah.
This despite BN contributing the smallest number of seats (9). Saarani, the caretaker MB, was reappointed as the new MB after receiving support from a total of 33 assembly persons (ADUNs) from both BN and its new partner Pakatan Harapan (PH).
The next day a total of 10 Perak elected ADUNs — seven from PH and three from BN — were sworn in as executive councillors, making up the state cabinet.
It is a minority government by constitutional convention literally at your doorstep, so to speak.
As explained earlier, the convention is for the caretaker MB to stay in power and be given the first chance to create a government. He may decide to negotiate with another party or parties to build a coalition, or with another coalition to build a coalition of coalitions. He may form a minority government.
Importantly, it is constitutional. Article 16(2) of the Constitution of Perak states as follow:
The Executive Council shall be appointed as follows, that is to say –
(a) His Royal Highness shall first appoint as Mentri Besar to preside over the Executive Council a member of the Legislative Assembly who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly; and
(b) he shall on the advice of the Mentri Besar appoint not more than ten nor less than four other members from among the members of the Legislative Assembly.
Saarani has the confidence of the majority of ADUNs — thanks to the support of 24 PH ADUNs. His appointment as MB complies with Article 16(2)(a).
So, again, it is a minority government at state level, which is expected to be formed also to the east of Putrajaya, in Pahang.
You find strange bedfellows, they say, in politics. But it is not happening at the federal level, yet.
The impasse continues, despite the convention at work, and the minority government formed, in Perak, and soon in Pahang.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
