'Will I give notice to kill?' Ex-MB counters speaker's ruling

Former Terengganu menteri besar Ahmad Said has employed a murderous and apocalyptical analogy to criticise the state assembly speaker’s rejection of his motion of no confidence against his successor.

Accusing the speaker, Mohd Zubir Embong, of “misusing his powers”, he disagreed with the contention that no notice was given for the motion.

“If I say I want to kill you, will I be giving a 14-day notice?” he asked.

Furthermore, he told Malaysiakini if this condition is applied, then a motion of no confidence cannot be filed until “kiamat” (apocalypse).

“The state assembly’s rules cannot supersede the constitution,” he stressed.

The Kijal assemblyperson stunned the house this afternoon when he tabled the motion against Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman just before recess at 12.30pm.

When the sitting resumed at 2.30pm, the speaker dismissed the motion and ended the proceedings shortly after.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Said kept his cards close to his chest and refused to disclose if he would orchestrate a coup similar to what transpired in Kedah last month.

“I don’t know. I can’t reveal that to you,” he said when quizzed on the matter.

In Kedah, current menteri besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah initiated an open war against his predecessor Mukhriz Mahathir by declaring in a press conference last month that the state Umno leadership had lost confidence in him.

Following this, Mukhriz, who is the son of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was forced to relinquish his post.

Meanwhile, Ahmad said his next move would depend on Umno’s action against him for tabling the motion.

The former menteri besar, however, is unfazed.

“We’ll see. I am still an Umno member, so it depends on what the party is going to do.

‘”It’s up to them (Umno) if they want to expel or suspend me. They have the powers, so they can do it,” he added.

Asked what prompted him to table the motion, Ahmad pointed out that he had kept mum for almost two years.

“I was forced to resign. If the rakyat didn’t want me, I would understand. But what did I do to be humiliated in such a way? I have my dignity, too,” he said.

Ahmad was removed as Terengganu menteri besar and replaced with Razif in 2014.

This prompted Ahmad and two other Umno representatives to leave the party sparking off a crisis in the state.

The crisis ended two days later when Ahmad rejoined Umno after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak apologised for removing him so close to his daughter's wedding. -Mkini