Perak MB post still undecided
Malaysiakini.com
Mar 10, 2008

Representatives of DAP, PKR and PAS today sought an audience with the Regent of Perak to inform him that the coalition was ready to form a state government in Perak. MCPX

perak opp leaders meet regent on mb 100308According to PAS vice-president and party commissioner for the state Ahmad Awang, the meeting took place at the Raja Nazrin Shah’s official residence Istana Kinta at 4pm.

Malaysiakini learnt that a list containing three potential Menteri Besar candidates - one each from the parties - were submitted to the Regent to be extended to the Sultan, who is presently away.

As it stands, the leading candidates for the post is believed to be Pasir Panjang representative from PAS Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin and PKR’s Behrang state assembly person Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi.

It is also learnt that in an agreement between the opposition parties, DAP has agreed to give PKR the menteri besar post, and in return DAP would have seven representatives in the state exco. PAS and PKR will have two each, including the menteri besar.

In the fight for the Perak state assembly, DAP won all 18 of the seats in contested. PKR won seven and PAS took six, to make it 31 seats in total out of the 59 state seats available, winning with a simple majority to rule the state. BN won the remaining 28 seats.

Constitutional requirement

perak state seat breakdownThe state constitution however has a requirement that the menteri besar post be only given to a Malay Muslim, effectively making DAP's non-eligible for the post. 

However, there is a provision in the state constitution that allows the Perak Sultan to waive this requirement at his discretion. 

At a press conference later Ahmad told reporters that party grassroots have been instructed not to deem the new state government a "PAS government" should the menteri besar post be given to a PAS assemblyperson. 

"The menteri besar doesn't represent the party. He is a menteri besar of the coalition government," said Ahmad, who is also one of the four PAS vice-presidents. 

Asked if the large non-Muslim population in Perak would react negatively should a PAS member be made menteri besar, Ahmad said that the public should not worry unnecessarily. 

"Don't worry. All decisions would be made collectively. We cannot make decisions unilaterally," he said. 

Meanwhile, another PAS vice-president Husam Musa stressed that even if the Sultan chooses a menteri besar from PAS, there would not be drastic social changes that would affect non-Muslims. 

"It is more important that the new state government is run prudently and cleanly," said Husam, who is in Perak to pay a courtesy call to the new state government on behalf of PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat. 

Kedah state offer

Husam said that the party would back the Sultan's decision on the choice of menteri besar even if the candidates were from DAP or PKR.

pas perak pc on mb 100308 group shotHusam also said that the party fully backs the newly formed DAP-led coalition government in Penang and the PKR-led coalition government in Selangor. 

In a related development, Husam disclosed that the newly-formed PAS-led Kedah state government had offered two state exco posts for non-Muslim PKR assemblypersons and one post for DAP. 

"DAP is not part of our coalition to wrest the state but we are offering them a place in the new state government as a goodwill gesture," he said. 
           
The PAS-PKR coalition government in Kedah is led by newly appointed Menteri Besar Azizan Abu Razak. PAS has 16 seats, PKR 14, DAP 1 and one seat is held by an independent candidate. 

It is unsure if DAP would reciprocate PAS' goodwill gesture in Penang, where PAS has two state assembly seats. DAP has 19 seats in the Penang state assembly while coalition partners PKR has four. 

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