POLITICS: Can Perak MB survive a confidence vote?

Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu. -filepic

Will the motion of confidence to support the Perak Mentri Besar turn on him instead?

Pengkalan Baru assemblyman Datuk Abdul Manaf Hashim of Umno filed the motion to back Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu, the assemblyman of Chenderiang, the only state seat Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia won in Perak.

The Perak assembly meeting starts on Friday (Dec 4).

If enough of the 59 assemblymen from the silver state do not vote in support of the Bersatu deputy president, it means Ahmad Faizal would have lost the confidence of his peers.

Who among them will support or oppose the Mentri Besar?

Here is the latest breakdown of the lawmakers based on party.

Some of them have jumped to a different party or become independent. After GE14, Umno's 27 assemblymen and PAS' three had the majority to form the Perak government. But two Umno representatives joined Bersatu.

Umno has 25 assemblymen (from 27), DAP 16 (18), Bersatu five (one), Parti Amanah Negara five (six), PAS three (three), PKR three (four), Gerakan one (zero) and independent one (zero).

"The strength of the Perak government depends fully on the support of Umno as it has 25 assemblymen. When Umno is said to be not satisfied with the MB or with Perak Perikatan Nasional, this raises a big question on how far the Perak Perikatan government can hold out," said Ilham Center executive director Hisommudin Bakar.

"But, based on Umno's attitude at the Federal level on supporting the Perikatan government on several issues, the party only made threats, as in the end, they were not willing to be in the opposition."

Hisommudin believes that the motion of confidence to support the Perak Mentri Besar would not be problematic if there was no order or blessing from Umno's central leadership to take action against Bersatu.

"I don't expect any big surprises. There is dissatisfaction, but it won't reach to Umno pulling out of the Perak government," he said.

However, an Umno insider doesn't discount that there could be a bi-partisan – which include Umno and DAP – opposition against Ahmad Faizal.

"It is the new political dynamics in Perak.

"Having 25 assemblymen is not enough for Umno to bring down Peja (as Ahmad Faizal is known). We will need the support of other parties," he said

The source said Perak Umno wanted to oust the Mentri Besar because he has failed to run the state effectively.

"Peja was given the chance to be Mentri Besar for 22 months when Pakatan Harapan governed Perak and nine months after Perikatan Nasional Plus took over. But there is no development project or people's wellbeing programme that he has brought to the state," he said.

The Umno insider said Ahmad Faizal should resign as Mentri Besar to avoid the humiliation of losing support in the assembly.

"As Bersatu deputy president and Tambun MP, he can always get a Federal position in Putrajaya," he said.

Will the move to oust the Mentri Besar go through or fail like the threat to defeat Budget 2021?