Zahid: Pahang state administration remains solid

PUTRAJAYA: The Pahang administration is solid, with no Barisan Nasional assemblyman seeking to hop to Perikatan Nasional, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Instead, he said “inside information” indicated that some Perikatan assemblymen in Pahang want to join the Barisan-led state government.

He was responding to Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s remarks at a ceramah in Pahang on Wednesday that if Perikatan wins the Pelangai by-election, four Barisan assemblymen may switch sides.

Pahang has yet to gazette its anti-hopping law, which has been enforced at the federal level since Oct 5 last year.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Ahmad Zahid, who is Barisan chairman, said given the current composition of the Barisan-Pakatan state seats in the Pahang legislative assembly, a change of government would not be possible.

“We (Barisan) have 16 assemblymen (in Pahang). At the same time, we have eight assemblymen from Pakatan Harapan. And we will defend Pelangai.

“This shows that we have more than enough (seats) to be the state government.”

In the most recent general election, Barisan won Pelangai.

The by-election this Saturday came about following the death of Datuk Seri Johari Harun, 53, in a plane crash in Selangor in August.

Without accounting for the Pelangai constituency, Barisan holds 16 seats in the Pahang legislative assembly, Pakatan eight, and Perikatan 17.

Following Muhyiddin’s claim, Pahang Mentri Besar and state Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail also said that all Barisan assemblymen would not leave the coalition.

Wan Rosdy claimed that Muhyiddin’s comments were meant to create confusion among Pelangai voters.