Perak Amanah chairman does not rule out cooperating with other parties

IPOH:“Nothing is impossible” when it comes to forming a new coalition, said Perak Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) chairman Datuk Asmuni Awi when asked whether his party would be willing to work with other political parties in the state en route to establishing a new state government.

"During these difficult times, we are prepared to work with anybody to form a stable government," he briefly told Bernama.

Asmuni was among three PH leaders who sought an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah yesterday after Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu failed to garner majority support in a vote of confidence on him at the legislature on Friday.

The other two were Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming and Perak PKR chairman Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.

Ahmad Faizal obtained only 10 votes compared to 48 against him, while one member abstained in the motion brought by Datuk Abd Manap Hashim (BN-Pengkalan Baru).

Perak has 59 assemblymen comprising 25 from Barisan Nasional, Bersatu (five), PAS (three), DAP (16), PKR (three), Amanah (five), Gerakan (one) and Independent (one).

On Friday, Padang Rengas Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz was reported to have proposed that UMNO should work with Amanah and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to form a new government in the state.

He was reported to have said that it was not impossible to do that as these parties had also rejected the motion of confidence on the Menteri Besar.

A similar statement was echoed by Tebing Tinggi assemblyman Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, who noted that anything could happen as long as it complied with the requirements of the Constitution and not against the norm.

However, none of the PH leaders were present at a special state-level UMNO meeting held last night, which was attended by UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Mohamed Nazri.

-- BERNAMA