DISCONTENT WITHIN BERSATU GROWS AGAINST RECALCITRANT PERAK MB: NOT ONLY ACCUSED OF BEING LAZY & INCOMPETENT, MAJORITY OF AHMAD FAIZAL’S OFFICERS ARE EX-UMNO MEMBERS, SOME ARE STILL UMNO MEMBERS – TIME FOR MAHATHIR & MUHYIDDIN TO CRACK THE WHIP BEFORE PAKATAN’S PERAK STATE GOVT IS SABOTAGED TO THE POINT OF NO RETURN

PERAK Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s familiarity with former and current Umno members has upset many within his party, Bersatu, and the state Pakatan Harapan, lending credence to talk of a coup to replace him.

A source said Faizal, since his appointment as MB, has picked his friends – Umno members among them – as his aides and confidants.

“The majority of the MB’s officers are former Umno members. In fact, there are a few who are still members.

“So, those of us who are the true early fighters of Bersatu in Perak, the ones who were part of the election machinery that campaigned for him, are ignored. We are disappointed this has happened,”   the source told The Malaysian Insight.

Prior to becoming state Bersatu chairman, and subsequently state PH chief, Faizal headed Umno Youth in Ipoh Barat.

Another source said Faizal has done little to breathe life into Perak’s 24 Bersatu branches, leading the party to become the state’s least active PH component.

“If you look at the situation now, many Bersatu members have left to join Amanah, which is more active.

“Some even think that as long as we get to change the MB, we would be happy to give the post to Amanah, that would be fine,” said the source, one of the first Bersatu members in Perak.

Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming has admitted that there is a plot to topple the menteri besar. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, November 30, 2018.

Replacing Faizal can be done via a vote of no confidence to prove that he no longer enjoys the support of the majority of assemblymen.

The Perak MB crisis arose when state Umno communications chief Saarani Mohamad claimed that there are efforts among state excos to topple Faizal.

State DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming has admitted that there is such a plot, following confessions by several reps from both the opposition and PH, and that a police report will be filed over the matter.

Yet another source said apart from internal politics, many state excos do not share Faizal’s vision for the state leadership, with the MB frequently turning down their ideas.

“This is not just concerning the issue of land. There many other things that Faizal has turned down. At the same time, Umno folk are comfortable in Perak and they’re still getting assistance from Faizal.”

Troubles within the state PH began on the very day Faizal was appointed as MB, with Amanah believing that it should have gotten the post.

In the May 9 general election, Bersatu won only one of the 15 state seats in Perak it contested, namely Faizal’s Chenderiang. When two Umno assemblymen left the party, PH was able to wrest the state from Barisan Nasional.

Now, PH controls 30 of Perak’s 59 state seats, with DAP holding 18, Amanah (6), PKR (4) and Bersatu (2). Umno has 25 seats, PAS, three, and there is one independent.

– THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT