KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Perak Opposition leader Abdul Aziz Bari on Wednesday (12 August) condemned the state government’s alleged withholding of a proper office in the State Secretariat Building and an official vehicle despite both being part of his formal entitlements.
Malay Mail today reported the vice-chairman of the Perak chapter of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) as saying that his requests regarding the matter have been ignored for two months.
“Without an office, it’s difficult for me to carry out the duty as an Opposition leader. I have to conduct meetings and press conference at my house. This is very unprofessional.
“I’m not requesting for a Lexus, I just want an official car to carry out my work when I need to travel outside my constituency,” said Abdul Aziz.
He also questioned whether the current state administration has done away with policies put in place by the Pakatan Harapan government previously.
“If the current administration did not want to continue the practice then they should say so directly.
“But now it looks like the current administration led by the Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu are back to the old Barisan Nasional’s practice, where the Opposition is not appreciated,” said Abdul Aziz.
Ahmad Faizal also served as Menteri Besar of Perak in the Pakatan Harapan administration. He is the deputy president of the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) party.
Pakatan Harapan’s governance came to an abrupt stop when events following the “Sheraton Move” earlier this year saw former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s then-right-hand man Muhyiddin Yassin taking the mantle of Prime Minister, following a power vacuum left by the former’s resignation from the post.
Following his removal from Bersatu, Dr Mahathir — the party’s co-founder — recently announced his intention to set up a new Malay-based political party.
Abdul Aziz said that Pakatan Harapan in Perak will fully back the candidate to be fielded by Dr Mahathir’s new party in the Slim by-election.
Bersatu is currently led by Muhyiddin. The party is now part of the Malay-centric Perikatan Nasional alliance with Umno and Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
Pakatan Harapan currently comprises DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and National Trust Party (AMANAH). It also considers the Sabah Heritage Party (WARISAN) as an ally.
Chief Minister Shafie Apdal, a founding member of WARISAN, met with the Yang Dipertua Negeri — Sabah’s ceremonial head of state — Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, the latter of whom consented to the dissolution of the state assembly following what appeared to be a thwarted attempt of a coup by former Chief Minister Musa Aman at the eleventh hour.
This means that Sabah is now bound for a snap election.
Musa, an Umno cadre, earlier claimed that he had secured a simple majority to form a new multi-party government for Sabah.
In June, Musa was acquitted and discharged of all 46 criminal charges — involving corruption and money laundering — made against him in connection to timber concessions contracts in Sabah after the prosecution decided to drop all such charges against him.