BN must hold fresh poll in Perak

The new Barisan Nasional state government should dissolve the Perak state assembly immediately to pave the way for fresh election to allow the people to elect a legitimate administration.

“This is in compliance with public expectation, aspiration and desire,” said DAP’s Bukit Bendera member of Parliament Liew Chin Tong.
Citing the findings of an independent pollster Merdeka Centre, he argued that since over 70 per cent of Perak voters wanted a fresh election to resolve the political crisis in the state, it would be politically correct and ideal for the new state government to heed the public call.

“Any refusal to comply with public demand for a fresh poll to obtain a legitimate mandate can be construed as a political mockery,” said the parliamentarian from Penang, who is also an adviser to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

In Merdeka Centre’s survey, a whopping 76 per cent of respondents expressed that “the people, through elections” should decide who gets to form the government as opposed to 21 per cent who felt it was the prerogative of the palace.

The survey, involving 507 respondents polled between Feb 6 to Feb 8, disclosed that some 62 per cent felt the palace role in the crisis “did not reflect the will of the people”.

The survey results showed that the non-Malays were overwhelmingly against the formation of the new BN government but the Malays appeared to be split on this issue.

Of the 236 Malays polled, 46 per cent said the crisis will result in Pakatan Rakyat losing public support while 48 per cent said that support for BN would increase.

On how best to resolve the crisis, 51 per cent of Malays said the solution was to “accept the new government” while 26 per cent called for by-elections in the three seats currently held by independents and 20 per cent called for fresh statewide polls.

Perak BN gov’t installed via backdoor

Liew opined that only a duly-elected government can claim a legitimate people’s mandate to govern, unlike the current BN Perak government, which was installed through the backdoor through political defections of three former Pakatan assemblypersons.

In the coup d’etat overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the trio – Jelapang assemblyperson Hee Yit Fong, Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mat Radzi and Changkat Jering state representative Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu – have declared themselves independent assemblypersons, who are “BN friendly”.

Liew also questioned the legitimacy involving the appointment of three advisers with executive powers to the Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir government.

They are Batu Kurau assemblyperson Mohd Najumuddin Elies in charge of Muslim affairs, Gerakan deputy chairperson Chang Ko Youn in charge of Chinese community affairs and MIC vice-president S Veerasingam in charge of Indian community affairs.

Pengkalan Baru state assemblyperson Hamdi Abu Bakar was appointed as the state information chief.

Chang and Veerasingam were defeated in the Beruas parliamentary seat and Sungkai state seat respectively in the last general election.

Liew questioned Zambry whether he was right to give executive power to a mere adviser to the government, when it should only be given to an elected representative appointed as executive councillor.

Moreover, he pointed out that Chang and Veerasingam was defeated electoral candidates.

“I am also an adviser to the state government, but without executive power. What happened in Perak is a mockery of the democratic system.

“The Mentri Besar owes the public an explanation and should rectify it,” Liew stressed.

malaysiakini