PN offered us nothing so we chose PH, says Saarani

 

Saarani Mohamad said Perak BN accepted the PH offer to form a state government in order to break the stalemate.

PETALING JAYA: Perak Barisan Nasional chose to work with Pakatan Harapan in forming the news state government as BN was offered a role in governing the state, Saarani Mohamad said today after taking office as menteri besar.

On the other hand, Perikatan Nasional did not offer anything, said Saarani, who heads Perak BN.

Saarani said BN had been ready to sit as the opposition in the state assembly, but became kingmaker as PN and PH did not want to work with each other.

“PH won 24 seats, PN 26. If they worked together, they would have 50 seats. But they didn’t want to. They couldn’t sit together to form the government. When there’s no government, there’s no opposition,” Saarani said.

“I couldn’t let this be prolonged because the people of Perak can’t be left without a government, and the state assembly needs to convene to pass the annual state budget,” he said at a press conference after being sworn-in.

He said PH offered BN the posts of menteri besar, state assembly speaker and three positions on the executive council. Members of the new executive council will be sworn-in tomorrow at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar.

“(PN) didn’t even negotiate or offer (us) any role. That’s why I chose PH,” Saarani said.

Saarani, who is also Perak Umno leader, said he met state PN chief Ahmad Faizal Azumu yesterday and informed him BN had been courted by PH. He told Faizal that PN could make its own offer “but we didn’t receive anything”.

He said BN did not choose to work with PH purely because of the offer of government posts. He had to accept the PH offer to break the political stalemate.

In addition, resuming the post of menteri besar would allow him to continue initiatives he started since he first took the post in December 2020.

Both sides willing to set aside differences

Asked if a confidence and supply agreement would be signed with PN to ensure stability in the state, Saarani said there was no need, believing that both BN and PH were willing to set aside their differences.

“If we have the same intention, which is to focus on developing the state for the people’s welfare, we can put aside our differences and choose to find a meeting point.

Saarani also said he will hold a special meeting with state Umno leaders tonight to explain the decision, and party leaders will also explain to grassroot members. “I believe that, after we do this, our supporters will accept this decision.”

He said Umno’s central political bureau had allowed the state leadership to form the political cooperation first in order to set up the state government.

He dismissed calls for Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to step down over BN’s heavy loss in the general election, saying it was not the right time for that. - FMT