KANGAR: Three PAS assemblymen in Perlis have been sacked by the party in the latest political development in the state.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang announced that the three – Chuping assemblyman Saad Seman, Bintong assemblyman Fakhrul Anwar Ismail and Guar Sanji assemblyman Mohd Ridzuan Hashim – have had their PAS memberships terminated with immediate effect.
Abdul Hadi said the decision was made at a special meeting of the PAS central working committee in Rusila, Marang, yesterday.
“PAS will immediately inform the Speaker of the Perlis state legislative assembly of this decision for the purpose of complying with Article 50A(1)(a)(ii) of the Perlis State Constitution Enactment (Amendment) 2022,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Although Abdul Hadi did not give a reason for their sacking, it is believed to be connected to the submission of statutory declarations (SDs) by eight assemblymen to the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, stating that they had lost confidence in Perlis Mentri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli’s leadership.
Meanwhile, a lawmaker who signed an SD against Mohd Shukri claimed he has nothing personal against the latter, asserting that it was done in the hope of having a stronger leader to helm the state.
The assemblyman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, admitted that he, along with four of his Bersatu comrades, signed the SDs.
“We believe the state administration needs stronger leadership to safeguard the state’s stability and future. Our SDs were not motivated by any ill will, but by a collective sense of responsibility,” he told The Star.
He said they had received no updates since signing the SDs and would abide by any decision from the coalition’s leadership.
Technically, without the support of the eight assemblymen, Mohd Shukri would lose a simple majority to remain as mentri besar.
There are 15 seats in the Perlis state assembly, of which PAS holds nine, Bersatu five and Pakatan Harapan’s PKR one.
In 2023, Kuala Perlis assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah of Bersatu openly called for Mohd Shukri to resign, but the calls died down after he was appointed as executive councillor.
Calls for Mohd Shukri to step down grew louder again after his son, Mohd Syafeeq, was charged under Section 18 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 in May last year.
Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said the party’s supreme council has not called for a meeting on the issue.
“So far, I have not been informed of any pending supreme council meetings on the matter.
“If it is as reported and the matter has been put before the Raja of Perlis, it is best that Bersatu leaves the decision to the wisdom of Tuanku to decide what is best for the state,” said Ahmad Faizal.
An insider said three names from Bersatu have been submitted to the Perlis Ruler for consideration as mentri besar.
Meanwhile, Perlis Armada chief Abdul Latif Abu Hasan claimed that the order to sign the SD was not a party directive.
“There were never any orders from either the national Bersatu or state leaders to retract support for Mohd Shukri,” he claimed.
