Ahmad Faizal resigned as Perak MB, three PH assemblymen defected to PN

Ahmad Faizal Azumu resigned as the Menteri Besar of Perak on March 10.

 

According to him, the reason he resigned is because Bersatu had left Pakatan Harapan (PH), which means the Pakatan state government is automatically defunct.

 

 

Based on the composition of the current state legislative assembly, Perikatan Nasional (PN) currently has 32 assemblymen, exceeding the simple majority of 31.

 

Therefore, the state government has swung from PH to PN, yet Bersatu remains in the ruling government.

 

Ahmad Faizal is from Bersatu and his resignation as the state Menteri Besar is hinting that there could be some pressure from UMNO.

 

In the Perak state assembly, UMNO holds the majority with 25 seats, while Bersatu only has 4.

 

A similar sentiment was circulated during the Pakatan era, there were rumours then stating that DAP oversees the state as they have the majority seats in the state government.

 

As an aftermath of the recent political crisis, numerous politicians have become independent, particularly former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and his allies.

 

But other parties in the PH coalition also suffered losses in their memberships.

 

 

In Perak, DAP sacked two of its assemblymen Paul Yong Choo Kiong (Tronoh) and Sivasubramaniam Athinarayana (Buntong), while Amanah sacked Hasnul Zulkarnain Abd. Munaim (Titi Serong).

 

Both DAP and Amanah claimed that those assemblymen have gone rogue and defected to PN.

 

Consequently, Sivasubramaniam alleged that DAP has been planning to get rid of Ahmad Faizal as Perak Menteri Besar for a very long time, revealing that it has been discussed in every Perak DAP committee meeting.

 

Meanwhile, a video of Ahmad Faizal meeting the locals of Tanjung Piai during the by-election period went viral last November.

 

In the video, the former Perak MB professed that he has been fighting a lone battle against DAP in his home state, making it difficult for him to defend the Malay land and Islam.

 

 

Notoriously, he used the term “puak-puak DAP” (DAP clan), which is provocative and hostile towards the then allied party.

 

With Ahmad Faizal’s resignation, it is more likely for an UMNO assemblyman to take on the mantle of Perak Menteri Besar as the party has the majority in the Perak state government.

 

 

On the other hand, the racial divide in the state would possibly become more apparent with PN versus PH.

 

Currently, PN is fully made up of race and religion-based parties, there is zero MCA or MIC representatives in the state assembly.

 

Subsequently, DAP and PKR assemblymen would most likely be the one to represent the voice of the minorities in the state assembly.