Step down, don't make things difficult', Mukhriz urged

Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir has been urged to step down as Kedah menteri besar because he has supposedly lost the majority required to continue governing the state.

Umno vice-president Mahdzir Khalid (photo) said that is the best step Mukhriz can take in order to facilitate the continuity of the state’s administration as well as to not “make things difficult for various quarters”.

“Actually, in order to not make things difficult for various quarters including the palace, he should step down first.

“If he (Mukhriz) still has enough (majority), he can continue on as the menteri besar.

“However, if he does not have enough (majority), then he should resign,” Mahdzir, who is a former Kedah menteri besar, said to Malaysiakini today.

In a press conference today, Mukhriz had insisted he was still the Kedah menteri besar despite claims that he had lost the majority support in the state assembly.

“The political situation in Kedah is still under control, I am still the menteri besar and the government still exists, so any allegations from any parties that the government had fallen yesterday is not true,” he had said.

Mukhriz (below), who is also the Jerlun assemblyperson, said there are procedures which have to be followed in order to change the government.

This comes after PKR’s Sidam and Lunas assemblypersons announced they were quitting PKR to become independent representatives. 

The pair also pledged their support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as well as the formation of a Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in Kedah.

Following this announcement, Kedah PAS announced that PN now has the simple majority to form a new state government, along with the support of four Bersatu assemblypersons.

Mahdzir also said he is confident that the palace, specifically Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, will have the best solution to resolve this issue.

It is not the first time Kedah has faced a similar political crisis, he added.

“This Kedah issue is not the first time this has happened and it can be resolved with the wisdom of the palace.

“I am confident that the palace, specifically the Kedah Sultan, has the wisdom to find the best solution to resolve this crisis,” he said. - Mkini