At swearing-in of BN exco, Raja Perlis tells of rebels within

Raja Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail today expressed his disappointment that the Perlis government took more than a month to be sworn in.

"More than a month had passed. Only today were we able to hold the exco swearing-in ceremony. I take this matter seriously as it involved the palace and myself.

"I am worried as this case showed that there are rebels within our state," he said during the swearing in of the exco line-up at Arau royal palace in Perlis today.

Led by Perlis BN chief Shahidan Kassim, all BN state assemblypersons had boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of Azlan Man as the Perlis menteri besar. 

Shahidan was angry that the Raja had refused to appoint his brother Ismail Kassim as menteri besar and unsuccessfully tried to sack Azlan from Umno. 

The BN assemblypersons later gave in and apologised for defying the Perlis raja.

All the BN assemblypersons were present at the exco swearing-in ceremony today with the exception of Ismail, who is the Tambun Tulang assemblyperson.

BN won 10 out of the 15 state seats in Perlis during the May 9 general election.

During the ceremony, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin urged the state assemblypersons to stop politicking.

"Starting from now, I want you to focus on your responsibilities. Forget the party, don't politic 24 hours a day.

"Fulfill your responsibilities to the people regardless of skin colour, religion or race. If you are unable to do so you shouldn't be a people's representative," he said.

He also repeated his complaints about the slow rate of development in the state.

"Prove me wrong," he told the state assemblypersons. -Mkini