KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has today rallied government state assemblymen in a bid to prove his administration’s stability, amid new coup rumours.
In a press conference at the state’s capital Ipoh, Saarani, who is also Kota Tampan assemblyman, reportedly denied any internal conflict within the Perak government and said that Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Opposition leader Razman Zakaria had purportedly tried to display disharmony in the state government.
“The state government is not only strong and stable, but it is also getting stronger, driven by the spirit of togetherness, responsibility and determination, including to succeed in every agenda outlined in the 2030 Perak Sejahtera plan,” he was quoted as saying by local news portal Malaysiakini.
This came after Razman reportedly claimed that he had met a few Perak lawmakers amidst speculation of toppling the state government.
Saarani then challenged Razman to prove that he had the support to form the majority and urged the latter to stop making statements that could affect the confidence of investors.
“There were some suggestions from the assemblyperson to lodge a [police] report to stop Razman from playing up the issue. When the time comes, we will do it as his accusation can threaten the state’s security and is a seditious statement.
“Not to mention, if the PAS commissioner is lying, it is very bad. He lied to the world, which is very bad,” he said in a separate report by English daily New Straits Times.
Saarani was appointed as the Perak Menteri Besar after garnering the support of 32 out of 59 state lawmakers from Pakatan Harapan (29) and nine from Barisan Nasional (BN).
Currently the Opposition has 26 seats. A bulk of it comes from PAS (17) and the rest came from the Islamist party’s coalition partner Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia with nine seats.
An assemblyman in Perak needs the support of 30 out of 59 state lawmakers to form a simple majority and form the state government, while the Opposition needs at least four to topple the current administration.
Even if Razman had claimed that he has the support of 30 state lawmakers, the four assemblymen’s seats would have to go through by-elections as the Anti-Hopping Law is already in place.
Previously, Perak has a history of governments being toppled through defections, one prominently in 2009, and the other in 2020.
