Ex-Perak MB fears Terengganu PAS will strike deal with BN

The PAS leadership, especially in Terengganu, has been told to tread carefully over the current crisis in Terengganu following the decision taken by the state's three lawmakers to turn independent.

Former Perak menteri besar (MB) Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, when contacted by Astro AWANI, said he was worried of the possibility that PAS would strike a deal with Barisan Nasional (BN) to form a unity government in the state.

“My own personal private worry now is... (Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) to be personally calling my president (Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang)... so that PAS will hold hands with UMNO.

“I am worried that PAS leaders may be entangled in this situation. Some may not be able to resist,” said Mohammad Nizar, who was ousted as the MB of Perak during the state's 2009 constitutional crisis.

Mohammad Nizar said PAS leaders in Terengganu might be swayed if BN again uses the “Malay sentiments” argument that the two parties should work together for the particular community.

“That would be completely unethical. It would disturb the whole unification of Pakatan Rakyat,” he said, saying that this could be BN’s last “extreme” measure.

The current crisis in Terengganu was triggered after former menteri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said, who is the current independent assemblyman for Kijal, suddenly quit from UMNO along with the assemblymen for Ajil, Ghazali Taib, and Bukit Besi, Roslee Daud.

While the trio have declared themselves independents, they have yet to make their political allegiance clear.

Their resignations effectively turned BN into a minority government in the state; BN now has 14 reps compared to Pakatan Rakyat’s 15 (PAS 14 and PKR one)

Ahmad's move, according to him, was due to his unhappiness that his request to delay his replacement by Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman as the new MB, was not agreed upon by the PM.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nizar said anything could happen as the situation was now a tie as the three defected assemblymen has yet to declare their support for anyone.

“PAS only has 14 and PKR could be a kingmaker. What if that rep is being lured, too?” said Mohammad Nizar.

The Perak PAS deputy commissioner and Changkat Jering assemblyman said the current scenario in Terengganu was an “exact opposite” to what happened in Perak.

“In Perak, there was an attempt by the Federal Government to induce the defections. The three from Pakatan went missing for a week. As far as Terengganu is concerned, the defections were all within their own voluntary actions,” Mohammad Nizar said.

He also advised his Pakatan colleagues not to use the same “short cut” that was employed in Perak, where a vote of no confidence was made outside the legislative assembly.

"A vote of no confidence must be taken inside the legislative assembly, that’s the best solution, with the consent of the ruler.

"If that is done, nobody, not the courts, can question that decision."

Mohammad Nizar said once a vote of no confidence was given by the majority of the state assembly, he has only one last resort: to call for a state-wide poll.

"But a fresh poll would be time consuming. And while waiting for campaigning, anything can happen. That would pose unnecessary risk to the state and government."