Next MB?: Azmir and Abu Bakar.
PETALING JAYA: Two candidates – one each from PAS and Bersatu – are being considered for the post of the next Perlis Mentri Besar to replace Mohd Shukri Ramli, who resigned on Thursday.
Santan state assemblyman Azmir Azizan of PAS was reported to have received the endorsement of his party’s central committee, while Bersatu reportedly submitted the name of Kuala Perlis assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah as its candidate.
Azmir said he only found out through the media that he was being considered for the post.
“I am at a wedding feast now. I only know of this from media reports. I have no comments,” he said when contacted yesterday.
However, sources from PAS have confirmed that Azmir has been endorsed by his party’s top leadership for the post.
Meanwhile, Perikatan Nasional chairman and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed in a statement yesterday that a Bersatu assemblyman’s name has been submitted to Istana Perlis to be considered for the position.
He added that the name was given upon instructions from the palace.
However, he refuted claims that he had a hand in the signing of the statutory declarations (SDs) by the Bersatu assemblymen withdrawing support for Mohd Shukri.
“I wish to emphasise that Bersatu never issued any instruction to members of the Perlis state legislative assembly to sign any SD. Bersatu merely submitted the name of the Perlis MB candidate after Istana Perlis instructed us to do so.
“I must stress that Perikatan respects the discretionary powers of His Highness Raja Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail and the party upholds the state constitution in the appointment of the Mentri Besar,” he said in the statement.
Muhyiddin also said Bersatu will hear the explanations from its assemblymen to ascertain what had happened.
“I hope the issue regarding the Mentri Besar’s position can be resolved in the Perikatan family spirit between Bersatu and PAS,” he added.
Meanwhile, Perlis Perikatan chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim insisted that relations between PAS and Bersatu are still good.
“How we manoeuvre this tough situation is the test of our strength in unity. We will come out of this stronger,” he said when contacted.
On Thursday, Mohd Shukri, who is Sanglang assemblyman, announced that he was stepping down as mentri besar, citing “health reasons”.
The resignation followed the submission of eight SDs signed by assemblymen – three from PAS and five from Bersatu – retracting their support for him.
The three PAS assemblymen – Saad Seman (Chuping), Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) and Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji) – were subsequently sacked.
There are 15 seats in the Perlis state assembly, of which PAS holds nine, Bersatu five and PKR one.
Lawyer Tan Sri Azhar Azizan Harun said the Election Commission (EC) has no obligation to call for a by-election unless advised to do so by the state Speaker himself.
“This is because the state assembly has passed the tenure of three years and the EC does not have to call for a by-election.
“However, if the Speaker notifies the EC that the number of majority for the mentri besar would be affected should the seats remain vacant, then the EC would have to hold the by-election,” said Azhar, who is the former Dewan Rakyat Speaker and ex-EC chairman.
Perlis Speaker Rus’sele Eizan had declared the three state seats vacant.
Checks with EC yesterday, however, showed that the Perlis Speaker has yet to notify the EC of the vacancies.
