Group wants Ahmad Faizal to step down as Perak MB

IPOH: An NGO has called for Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu (pic) to step down to restore confidence among Pakatan Harapan supporters.

Pro 98 Reformis Perak secretary Sazali Samsudin said a lot of Pakatan supporters were disappointed with Ahmad’s leadership and by resigning, it would strengthen the state government.

“For a greater and meaningful reform agenda, Ahmad Faizul has to go, ” he said this after handing over a memorandum calling for Ahmad’s resignation to his special assistant, Mohd Jaffrey Mohd Zainol, at the state secretariat building.

Sazali said they wanted Ahmad to resign because of several issues, including state exco member Paul Yong being charged with rape, another exco member, Datuk Abdul Yunus Jamahri, for allegedly leaking state meeting minutes and Ahmad’s “lone battle against DAP” video that caused a controversy during the Tanjung Piai by-election.

Sazali also claimed Ahmad also practised favouritism and cronyism in running the state, allowed those close to him to take up government-linked companies, agencies and local government positions.

A commotion also broke out during the state assembly when Kampung Gajah assemblyman Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin said all the Opposition assemblymen received the memorandum.

Dr Wan Norashikin also asked state Speaker Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham whether he knew about the memorandum, which the latter denied.

Several Pakatan assemblymen also stood up and vehemently denied the memorandum was handed to all state representatives.

Ngeh claimed that Opposition leader Datuk Saarani Mohamad’s assistant had distributed the memorandum and he would investigate the matter.

Saarani, in a press conference later, said that his office received the memorandum from the Mentri Besar’s office.

“My officers were informed the memorandums were to be handed to all the opposition assemblyman. Since it came from the Mentri Besar’s office, they presumed it was an official memorandum, ” he said.

Saarani said he did not read the memorandum, as he realised it was sent by the NGO.

Meanwhile, the NGO’s chairman Ahmad Shaarani Abdul Khalid called for action to be taken against the Pakatan MPs who attended a private meeting at Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s residence in Putrajaya on Monday.

“The Pakatan MPs, especially those from PKR, should be referred to its disciplinary board to explain themselves.”

It was reported that a secret meeting was held between Azmin and several MPs from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan.- Star