Perak still waiting for Sultan’s word

IPOH: The Pahang and Perlis state assemblies have been dissolved, with the Rulers of the two states giving their consent but Perak remains a question mark.

No decision has yet been made by Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah and any decision on the dissolution of the state assembly would be announced by the Palace, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said.

Saarani said this after accompanying the Sultan to the Perak Islamic Education Excellence Awards ceremony at a hotel in Meru Raya.

Earlier, he told reporters that he had been summoned to see the Ruler but added that he did not know what it was about.

“Just wait until the Palace makes an announcement,” he said when contacted.

Saarani was first granted an audience by Sultan Nazrin on Wednesday, where he sought the Ruler’s consent to dissolve the assembly.

As of 8pm yesterday, there had been no statement from the Palace.

In Kuantan, State Speaker Datuk Seri Ishak Muhamad said the Election Commission (EC) had been notified about the dissolution of the Pahang Legislative Assembly.

He said the notice of dissolution was handed over to state EC director Datuk Zamree Hamli at Wisma Sri Pahang.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail had earlier announced the dissolution after he was granted an audience before the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to seek consent for the dissolution.

“We waited for the tabling and debate on the state budget to be completed first, thus obtaining approval for it to be implemented next year,” he told a press conference at Wisma Sri Pahang here yesterday.

Wan Rosdy also said Barisan stood a good chance at increasing the number of state seats based on the performance of the state government.

He said during his more than four years at the helm, the state’s revenue collection was over RM1bil, which was achieved for the first time.

Pahang has 42 state seats. In the previous general election Barisan won 25 seats, while Pakatan Harapan had nine and PAS eight.

The state has 14 Parliament seats, with Barisan holding nine and Pakatan five before dissolution.

In Kangar, Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man announced that the dissolution had received the consent of the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail.

He said he and Speaker Datuk Hamdan Bahari were granted an audience with the Raja of Perlis at the Galeri Diraja Arau on Thursday to seek consent for the dissolution.

The Raja of Perlis, said Azlan, also signed the declaration of dissolution effective yesterday.

Perlis has 15 state seats, with 10 being held by Barisan Nasional, three by PKR and two by PAS after the last elections.

Perlis has three parliamentary seats.