Nizar appeals for calm

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 9 — Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who failed in his bid to get the Federal Court to declare him as the rightful Perak mentri besar, is urging Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters to be calm.

Perak PR leaders would meet to discuss the next course of action, he told reporters after the court’s decision at the Palace of Justice here today.

A five-man Bench today unanimously declared the appointment of Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir as Perak Menteri Besar by Sultan Azlan Shah as constitutional.

Zambry from Barisan Nasional (BN) was appointed to replace Mohammad Nizar from PAS after the Perak Sultan was satisfied that the latter had lost the majority support of the state legislative assembly after two Parti Keadilan Rakyat assemblymen and one from DAP quit their parties and declared themselves as BN-friendly independents.

Mohammad Nizar said the court’s decision was a black mark in the country’s democratic history.

“This means we don’t need the general election, we don’t need Parliament as the monarchy can determine who should be a state or the country’s leader,” he said, adding that it was a very sad moment.

“However, it is a decision by the panel of judges and we will study it,” he said.

In Kuala Lumpur, opposition chief and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was not surprised by the decision.

He said what was important was to refer the matter to the “people’s court” for a decision as to who was qualified to lead the state of Perak.

Anwar said this to reporters when met at the court complex here where he is on trial for the alleged sodomy of his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Asked about his advice to opposition supporters, especially in Perak, he said he called on them to use their time to update their respective party machinery and explain current issues to the people.

In Penang, the DAP expressed deep disappointment over the decision.

Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the Federal Court decision was contrary to the basic democratic principle that a government must be elected  by the people.

“Any government that does not derive any directly elected mandate, not only violates the democratic principle of the people’s power but also questions the legitimacy of a people-centric government of the people, by the people and for the people,” he said in a statement.

He said the party reiterated its call to dissolve the Perak State Assembly and return power to the people by holding fresh elections. — Bernama

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