Friday March 14, 2008
Swearing-in called off
IPOH: The swearing-in of the new Perak Mentri Besar has been postponed indefinitely.
The ceremony, which was scheduled for 4pm at Istana Iskandariah here yesterday, was called off after leaders of the new DAP-PKR-PAS coalition government had an audience with the Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.
Comptroller of the Royal Household at Istana Iskandariah Datuk Seri Raja Mansor Raja Razman announced the postponement.
Perak PAS secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was initially scheduled to take his oath of office as the Mentri Besar before Raja Nazrin.
Perak DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming said that Raja Nazrin wanted a letter of undertaking from all 31 opposition assemblymen indicating their support for the formation of the new DAP-PKR-PAS coalition government.
“The letter should also state that all 31 of them supported the appointment of Pasir Panjang assemblyman Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the new Mentri Besar,” said Nga, who is also Pantai Remis assemblyman.
Nga explained that Raja Nazrin had summoned the leaders to meet him at 2.30pm at Istana Kinta. The meeting lasted until 4pm.
On Monday, Raja Nazrin had consented to the formation of the coalition government.
He also named Mohammad Nizar as the new Mentri Besar after selecting from three names including Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham and PKR treasurer Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi.
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Latest update: PKR’s Jamaluddin making a call after meeting with Raja Nazrin at Istana Kinta on Thursday. |
Ngeh said DAP, PKR and PAS assemblymen had been approached to cross over to Barisan Nasional.
“I am happy to note that the assemblymen have resisted the temptation to defect,” he said.
On talk that PKR was unhappy that it did not have any exco post in the new government, Ngeh said it was not true and that all parties would be treated fairly.
More than 100 people and pressmen had gathered at the clock tower roundabout about 5km from Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar at 3pm yesterday in anticipation of the swearing-in ceremony.
Police had set up roadblocks from 1.30pm to bar uninvited guests from entering the palace grounds.
Among the guests who turned up were caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali and his wife Datin Seri Kamariah Mokri, and Raja di-Hilir Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and his wife Raja Puan Muda of Perak Raja Nor Mahani Raja Shahar Shah.
When word began to spread that the swearing-in ceremony had been cancelled, several supporters began to shout at one another, causing the police to ask them to leave.
Kuala Kangsar OCPD Supt Zakaria Pagan said the palace informed the police that the ceremony had been cancelled at about 4.15pm.
He said the crowd which had gathered near the palace dispersed peacefully by 5.30pm.
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