CRACKS APPEAR IN PERAK OPPOSITION COALITION, DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PERAK DAP AND HQ

March 13, 2008 01:05 AM

IPOH, March 12 (Bernama) -- The pact between the DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and PAS which had earlier agreed to form a coalition government in Perak appears to have caused differences between Perak DAP and its headquarters over the post of the Menteri Besar.

The DAP Headquarters have directed that 18 of their state assemblymen not to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the PAS representative, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, as the new Menteri Besar of Perak scheduled at Istana Iskandariah on Thursday.

DAP Advisor Lim Kit Siang said in a statement tonight that the decision to appoint PAS Assemblyman Mohammad Nizar Jamaludin as the Menteri Besar did not receive the mandate of the DAP's Central Executive Committee.

The three political parties had collectively submitted a letter to the Sultan of Perak to form the coalition government and had named Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham, Perak PKR Treasurer Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Perak PAS Secretary Mohammad Nizar to be considered as candidates for the post of Menteri Besar.

The Sultan of Perak today consented that Mohammad Nizar be appointed the 10th Menteri Besar of Perak and the decision was announced by the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, who also had an audience with the three candidates at Istana Kinta here this afternoon.

An Istana Kinta spokesman tonight made available copies of the letter to the press.

Dated March 11, it was signed by Ngeh as the Perak DAP chairman, Perak PAS Commissioner Ahmad Awang and Perak PKR chairman Zulkifly Ibrahim.

They had unanimously agreed to abide by Sultan Azlan's choice as to who would be the menteri besar.

Lim, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timur, however, in his statement said the DAP was only prepared to accept Ngeh, who won the Sitiwan seat or Jamaluddin, who captured the Behrang seat, as the new menteri besar.

In Saturday's election PAS won six state seats, PKR seven while the DAP 18 for a total of 31 seats, which gave them a simple majority to form the new government. The incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN) lost in the election after garnering only 28 seats out of the 59 at stake.