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Wednesday March 12, 2008

Regent of Perak expected to decide on new MB by today

By HAH FOONG LIAN and CHAN LI LEEN

newsdesk@thestar.com.my

DAP and partners name candidates for Perak MB

IPOH: The new Mentri Besar from the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition will be sworn in as early as today after the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, decides among three potential candidates.

The candidates are state DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham, state PKR treasurer Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and state PAS secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.

Revealing this at a joint press conference, Ngeh said the names were submitted to Raja Nazrin Shah at Istana Kinta here at 2pm yesterday.

“All parties within the coalition have jointly agreed on the submission of the three names for his decision.

“We would like to impress upon the people that all three parties have unanimously agreed to fully endorse whichever candidate is chosen,” he said at the Perak DAP headquarters.

Also present were state PKR chief Zulkifly Ibrahim, Mohammad Nizar and other DAP assemblymen.

Ngeh emphasised that the new government, which Raja Nazrin Shah had consented to on Monday, would act collectively.

“The post of Mentri Besar is just to lead the state government and state executive council.

“Whatever decisions to be made will be done in full consultation with all three parties,” he explained.

When asked about talk of assemblymen from the new coalition being influenced to cross over to Barisan Nasional, Ngeh said it was not true.

“In fact, there were overtures from Barisan to hop over (to the new coalition) and we are telling them to hold on. We believe in our elected representatives who are more resilient and principled,” he said.

On why the coalition submitted the names of three candidates for the Mentri Besar post, Ngeh said it was most apt and appropriate after considering various factors, including the state Constitution.

It was also out of deference and respect for the Sultan of Perak, who under the Constitution, had the final say on the appointment of the Mentri Besar, he said.

On why the DAP was now working with PAS when it had told the people that it was not cooperating with PAS during the campaigning period, Ngeh said even when the DAP was out of the Barisan Alternatif, the party had always taken the stand that it could, for the common good of the people, work together.

In Kuala Lumpur, PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa said the Perak Mentri Besar should be Malay for the sake of long-term stability.

Husam said the two criteria for the selection of the Mentri Besar was that the candidate had to be Malay and also had to be accepted by all three races.

He said this when responding to a point that the Sultan of Perak could waive the ruling that the Mentri Besar had to be Malay and instead select a non-Malay for the post.

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