IPOH, May 14 — It’s confirmed. Pakatan Harapan (PH) formed a government in Perak after two Barisan Nasional assemblymen pledged their support to the coalition.
One of the assemblyman who switched camps is Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi, the sister-in-law of newly-minted Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu, who was sworn in on Saturday after PH managed to get majority support.
Nolee’s older sister Dr Nomee Ashikin Mohammed Radzi is married to Faizal.
The sisters’ father is Umno strongman Datuk Mohammed Radzi Manan, who is also Kampar Umno division chief.
He was a former state executive councillor under the administration of Tan Sri Tajol Rosli Ghazali, when the latter was mentri besar. He last contested in the Tualang Sekah state seat during the 2008 election before giving way to his daughter Nolee.
Following Barisan’s lacklustre performance in the 2008 general election, Mohammed Radzi spearheaded a group calling for then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down.
Mohammed Radzi is also the founder of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), mooted by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed when he was the prime minister 15 years ago.
Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) will decide at the next state Umno committee meeting on action to be taken against two of its assemblymen who pledged support to PH to form the state government.
State deputy chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad said they will also have to refer the matter to the party leadership before taking any action.
“This is a serious matter. We have to discuss it in our next state liaison committee meeting. We can’t decide it on our own or take any decision in haste,” he told Malay Mail.
“Once a decision has been made at the meeting, we will refer the matter to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi,” he said, referring to the acting Umno president.
Saarani, however, did not reveal when the meeting will be held.
On Saturday, Nolee openly admitted that she supported PH to form the government, but asserted she did not jump ship and was still with BN.
In a statement issued through her Facebook, Nolee said her decision was made in the interest of the public and she was ready to face the consequences.
The other representative who pledged support for PH was Sungai Manik assemblyman Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin.
PH managed to form the state government on Saturday, after informing Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah that they had a simple majority to form the government.
The two BN seats, when added to PH’s total of 29, gave the coalition a total of 31 — enough to form a majority in the state. BN won 25 seats in the polls, while PAS won three.
