AUGUST 23 — Following Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s insistence that he had the support of 115 MPs through their statutory declarations (SDs) after GE15 but was not invited to form the government, let’s recall what happened in Perak in 2009.
On February 5, 2009 at about 2.16pm, the office of His Royal Highness Sultan of Perak issued a press statement to Bernama, the material part of which reads as follows and which summarised the events leading up to the press statement:
“Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Ir Haji Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin telah manghadap Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzuan pada 04 Februari 2009 (semalam) memohon perkenan Baginda untuk membubarkan Dewan Negeri Perak.
Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Malaysia juga memohon menghadap Baginda atas kepasitinya sebagai Pengerusi Barisan Nasional Negeri Perak dan telah diberi perkenan menghadap Baginda pada esok harinya, pagi 05 Februari 2009.
Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib memaklumkan bahawa Barisan Nasional dan penyokong-penyokongnya kini yang terdiri daripada 31 orang ahli Dewan Negeri telah menguasai majoriti di kalangan ahli-ahli Dewan Negeri.
Atas titah Duli Yang Maha Mulia untuk meyakinkan Baginda bahawa maklumat yang dipersembahkan itu adalah tepat, kesemua 31 orang ahli Dewan Negeri tersebut telah dititah menghadap Paduka Seri Sultan.
Setelah menemui sendiri kesemua 31 ahli-ahli Dewan tersebut, DYMM Paduka Seri Sultan Perak telah yakin bahawa YAB Dato’ Seri Ir Haji Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin telah terhenti daripada mendapat kepercayaan sebahagian besar (ceases to command the confidence of the majority) dari kalangan ahli-ahli Dewan Negeri.
DYMM Paduka Seri Sultan Perak juga telah menimbangkan dengan sedalam-dalamnya permohonan YAB Dato’ Seri Ir Haji Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin pada 04 Februari 2009 memohon perkenan Baginda untuk membubarkan Dewan Negeri Perak. Baginda menggunakan budi bicara Baginda di bawah Perkara XVIII (2)(b) Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Perak Darul Ridzuan dan tidak berkenan membubarkan Dewan Negeri Perak.
YAB Dato’ Seri Ir Haji Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin telah dititah menghadap Baginda untuk dimaklumkan mengenai keputusan Baginda tidak membubarkan Dewan dan selaras dengan peruntukan XVI(6) Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Perak Darul Ridzuan, DYMM Paduka Seri Sultan Perak menitahkan YAB Dato’ Seri Ir Haji Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin meletak jawatan sebagai Menteri Besar Perak bersama ahli-ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan (MMK) berkuatkuasa serta merta.
Sekiranya YAB Dato’ Seri Ir Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin tidak meletak jawatan sebagai Menteri Besar Perak bersama ahli-ahli MMK, maka jawatan Menteri Besar serta ahli-ahli MMK tersebut dianggap telah dikosongkan.”
The above appears in the judgment of the Federal Court in the Nizar v Zambry (2010) case. In that case, the Federal Court held that the loss of confidence in the Menteri Besar (MB) — and by extension the Prime Minister (PM) — may not only be established through a vote in the legislative assembly but may also be gathered from other extraneous sources provided they are properly established.
Such sources — mind the plural form of the word — include representations made by members of the legislative assembly that the MB no longer enjoys the support of the majority of the members of the assembly.
Such sources should include SDs, provided they are properly established.
Such sources should include MPs or parties who meet in person with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (the King).
Muhyiddin might have met the King with 115 SDs supporting him as the PM. But the King summoned 30 Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs so that His Majesty could decide who to appoint from a member of the Dewan Rakyat whom His Majesty in his opinion might have the confidence of the majority of the MPS as PM as provided under Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution.
The Malay Mail reported that only BN’s top three leaders — not all the 30 BN MPs — arrived at Istana Negara for the audience with the King.
SDs are not the only extraneous source to establish confidence in an MP to be appointed as PM. It is humbly submitted that Muhyiddin erred in his belief that the alleged 115 SDs suffice to establish the support of the majority of MPs to be invited by the King to be appointed as PM.
Muhyiddin could have done better than just bringing in the 115 SDs by bringing the 115 MPs to have an audience with the King. That, arguably, would have properly established the confidence of the majority of the MPs in him.
Muhyiddin did not do what Najib did in 2009.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
