KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — The Kedah Pakatan Harapan administration is still intact and working despite news of defections and “betrayal’’, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
In a press conference today, Mukhriz denies that the PH government has collapsed due to several defections of PH lawmakers who have voiced their support for the Perikatan Nasional coalition through a press conference held yesterday.
In the press conference, Kedah Opposition chief Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor claimed that 23 lawmakers have signed statutory declarations (SD) stating that they have lost confidence in Mukhriz’s leadership.
“The political situation in Kedah, I think is still under control. I am still the mentri besar and the [PH] government still stands. So it is not true that this government has fallen as they said yesterday.
“There are a few more processes that need to be done, including those involving his royal highness, the Sultan of Kedah, before such a matter could be done,’’ referring to the state ruler, Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah.
“We don’t make our decisions based on a press conference, we need official correspondence from the right authorities, not from the Opposition,’’ he said,during a press conference after chairing the state executive councillor (exco) meeting today.
Mukhriz, who is also the Jitra assemblyman, said that the appropriate avenue to determine whether he commands the majority in the state is by tabling a motion of confidence or no confidence in the state assembly.
“In the exco meeting today, the exco has decided that to determine whether the mentri besar still commands the majority or not, we would like to recommend to His Highness the Sultan of Kedah that such matters is done through the state assembly sitting.
“That way it is more transparent. The Opposition then can table a motion of no confidence towards the mentri besar or the government can table a motion of confidence, both are the same,’’ he said.
When asked about state lawmakers signing SDs stating that they have lost confidence in him, Mukhriz said that such methods were simply untrustworthy.
“Before this when Perikatan Nasional was established at the federal level, the same thing was asked of Kedah whether it will fall too.
“Back then, when I had a meeting with Bersatu and PH state lawmakers then, all of them signed SDs supporting me as the mentri besar to form what is known as the Bersatu plus PH government here.
“So the issue of SDs, not to say it cannot be used but in one day, two SDs can be signed, you sign one side in the morning and another in the afternoon. So I can’t hold on to the statement issued by the Opposition leader that he has enough support. It must go through the right process,’’ he said.
When asked whether Mukhriz would call a special state assembly sitting to resolve the issue, he simply said that it is still under consideration.
Mukhriz also stated that three excos missed today’s meeting, with their reason for being absent unknown.
When asked whether he would remove state excos that are no longer aligned with PH, Mukhriz simply said the exercise would simply be “academic” at this point.
Yesterday, Lunas assemblyman and state exco Azman Nasrudin, as well as Sidam assemblyman Robert Ling Kui Ee from the PKR, stated that they have lost confidence in the PKR leadership and said they wished to work with Muhyiddin and former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Azmin Ali to change the state government.
In other reports Kuah assembly, Mohd Firdaus Ahmad and Ayer Hangat assemblymen Juhari Bulat, both from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) also stated they have lost confidence in Mukhriz leadership and are giving their support to the formation of the new state government.
