Speaker dismisses rumours Terengganu Assembly has been dissolved

Terengganu State Legislative Assembly Speaker Mohd Zubir Embong today dismissed rumours that the state assembly has been dissolved following the latest political developments in the state.

The state assembly can only be dissolved after obtaining the consent of the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, he said.

"Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman must seek an audience with the sultan to obtain the consent to dissolve the assembly. So far, this has not taken place.

"As the speaker, I have not received any notification on a dissolution," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Rumours have been circulating via text messages and the WhatsApp facility that the state assembly was dissolved today and state elections will be held in Terengganu within 60 days.

Mohd Zubir advised the people not to disseminate unverified information so as to avert any undesirable incidents.

The rumours have been circulating after former Terengganu menteri besar and Kijal assemblyman Datuk Seri Ahmad Said and two other Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen from UMNO - Ghazali Taib (Ajil) and Roslee Daud (Bukit Besi) - announced earlier today that they had quit UMNO and become independent elected representatives.

This reduced the BN representation in the state legislative assembly from 17 to 14. PAS has 14 representatives in the assembly and PKR, one.

After Ahmad's resignation as the menteri besar yesterday, Seberang Takir assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman was sworn in as the new menteri besar last night.