Anwar asks Nizar to carry on as MB

Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has played down DAP chairman Karpal Singh's planned suit against the Sultan of Perak for his "unconstitutional decision" to allow Barisan Nasional to take over the helm in Perak.

He said the suit would not be filed. Instead a panel of Pakatan Rakyat lawyers would look into legal remedies to the situation.

Speaking last night to a 8,000-strong crowd at the menteri besar's official residence here, which was occupied by Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, Anwar said the decision was reached when he met DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang earlier.

Anwar said he, Kit Siang and Hadi would seek an audience with the Sultan of Perak as soon as possible to convey the voice of the people of Perak.

He urged Nizar and the Pakatan executive councillors to continue with their duties as assemblymen and to return to their offices tomorrow as usual.
If they were denied entry, they were to carry on from the menteri besar's residence, Anwar said.

Present were Nizar and several Pakatan leaders, deputy DAP chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw and Hadi.

Police had blocked the roads within a kilometre radius to the menteri besar's residence to prevent crowds from converging.

Traffic was at a standstill near a roundabout in front of the residence.

City police chief Assistant Commissioner Azisman Alias said the roadblocks began at 6pm and were lifted at midnight. – text: NST, pix: TMI

Anwar says Pakatan not going against the palace

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Perak Menteri Besar’s refusal to resign despite the request by Sultan Azlan Shah did not mean Pakatan Rakyat was on a collision course with the Perak palace.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, hands clasped, deliberates about Perak's state of affairs in Pakatan Rakyat’s press conference in Ipoh today. Perak Menteri Besar — for now — Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin on his left looks on for inspiration. The coming hours will be crucial in deciding the fate of the silver state. — pic by Choo Choy May

“Considering the spirit of constitutional monarchy and Parliamentary democracy, this takover if allowed will be a disaster to the democratic system,” Anwar told reporters after a meeting with PR leaders.

He added that only a dissolution of the state assembly and a state-wide election would solve the problem.

On the order by the state secretariat for the leaders to vacate the building, Anwar described the action as abnormal.

“The MB has not resigned, has not been dismissed. It is abnormal under the so-called democratic system,” he added.

DAP’s Lim Kit Siang described the takeover attempt by BN as a coup led by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“A month before Najib becomes the sixth Prime Minister, but today he has launched a coup d'état,” said Lim adding that Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin was still the Menteri Besar.

“The PR government is still legitimate. This takeover is illegal and unconstitutional,” said the Ipoh Timor MP.

Earlier today Nizar was ordered to resign by the ruler as he was deemed to have lost the support of the majority of the state’s lawmakers.

The government has however refused to step down saying that BN has no majority in the assembly, claiming that the three independents who back the coalition have resigned as legislators. -- By Adib Zalkapli, The Malaysian Insider