‘THEY HAVE ALL RUN BACK TO THEIR HOLES’: POTENTIAL UMNO DEFECTORS SCURRY OFF AS PERAK MB CRISIS ERUPTS INTO THE OPEN – BUT WRITING IS ON THE WALL FOR BERSATU’S AHMAD FAIZAL, WHOSE INCOMPETENCE THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, NOT HIS PAKATAN MATES OR UMNO ‘RATS’

IPOH — All talk about the possible removal of Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu as Perak Mentri Besar has hit a dead end for now.

A Pakatan Harapan (PH) insider told Malay Mail that all Umno assemblymen who had been approached have scuttled back into their “holes” after Perak Opposition Leader Datuk Saarani Mohamad went public about the private talks to gauge bipartisan support of Ahmad Faizal’s state leadership.

“Now everybody has gone back to their holes,” the insider said.

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that there were some state PH officials discontented with the first-time MB who had approached their political foes, as Saarani had claimed last month.

However, the source clarified that the surreptitious bipartisan talks were not to initiate a no-confidence vote against Ahmad Faizal in the legislative assembly as Saarani had said when he revealed a plot to unseat the incumbent MB.

“It was just a casual chat to ask them if they were happy with Peja’s administration,” the PH government source said, using Ahmad Faizal’s nickname.

But Saarani’s exposé did not stop the Opposition from harping on the alleged MB shuffle during the state legislative sitting last Tuesday and which continued with the Perak PH challenging the state Umno chief to reveal the purported ouster ringleader.

Saarani has said he would only reveal the ringleader’s identity if all 10 executive councillor in Ahmad Faizal’s administration agreed to it.

The drama surrounding the supposed MB ouster took place last week and overshadowed the first unveiling of the Perak PH Budget last Tuesday. This naturally agitated Ahmad Faizal who wanted to focus on how to further develop Perak economically, a state government aide said.

The aide expressed vexation that the current discussions in which Perak officials should focus on are the state Budget for the next year.

“It will determine the direction of the state,” said the aide who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

He said talks of a no-confidence vote against the mentri besar creates a bad deception.

“For the sake of the state, this cannot go on,” the aide said.

Rumbles of unhappiness with Ahmad Faizal’s leadership in Perak surfaced not long after he took his oath of office. Complaints about his conduct grew; the Chenderiang assemblyman was alleged to have skipped some government meetings or functions and made another exco stand in for him.

Things came to a head when two state government councillors ― Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin who was a former MB and Abdul Aziz Bari ― made statements that ran counter to what Ahmad Faizal had announced.

It started with the controversy over the issuance of freehold titles and construction of a new airport in the state, which triggered Umno to ask who is the real MB of Perak.

The charged atmosphere within the PH leadership cooled slightly when Ahmad Faizal told Selangor excos not to air their complaints publicly, until November 24 when Saarani dropped the ouster bombshell during a Umno gathering in Sungai Siput.

While Ahmad Faizal has since painted a rosy picture of his state administration, he is still plagued by rumours that he will be subjected to a no-confidence vote sooner rather than later.

The latest word is that the referendum will happen on the last day of the assembly sitting this coming Wednesday.

Will it happen? Only time will tell.

MALAY MAIL