Outgoing Perak MB pledges smooth handover after losing confidence vote

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said he will ensure a smooth transition of power to his successor after he lost a vote of confidence in the state assembly today.

The outgoing MB said in a concession speech after the vote that he hoped the next administration would preserve the policies introduced during his two terms in power.

“I hope that the future government will make sure that all the efforts we have done — which was not to establish a personal legacy — like the women's secretariat which will come to realisation next year will be continued.

“We hope they continue to make sure all GLC’s (government linked corporations) do not continue to do redundant work. We also hope they continue to make sure government officers are proactive in carrying out their duties instead of waiting for meetings to be held before taking action,” Faizal said in his speech at the state legislative assembly this morning.

“With the best in communication technology available to us now we should have good communication between agencies to ensure the work the people need to be done is done in a good and proper manner.”

Faizal said he was grateful for the opportunity to have become the MB and said the focus now should be to ensure the incoming administration would continue addressing problems and issues in the state.

This was especially critical given the economic disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.

Faizal went on to thank the cooperation of the state lawmakers and even told his former allies in Pakatan Harapan that he “missed”.

He also said he was grateful for the opportunity to still present the Perak budget for 2021, which he said was “very good”.

Faizal was previously the MB for the Pakatan Harapan state government and was returned to power after his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia party broke away to form Perikatan Nasional.

He was elected the deputy president of Bersatu earlier this year.

This morning, he lost confidence vote by 48 votes against him and 10 in support.

* Editor's note: A previous version of this report incorrectly stated that Pengkalan Baru assemblyman Datuk Abdul Manap Hashim is Ahmad Faizal's political secretary and has since been corrected.