PERLIS Mentri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah has dismissed speculation that the state legislative assembly sitting was postponed because he was afraid that PAS, the dominant party in the state may propose a no-confidence motion against him.
The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) leader said the postponement was to ensure the administration was polished to answer the various queries and issues expected at the proceedings.
The original dates slated for the sitting was yesterday until tomorrow, but it has since been postponed to a later date.
"It has nothing to do with concerns over attempts to challenge the state. It is not an issue in the first place," Abu Bakar told journalists here.
The differing of the sitting was related to the need to ensure the administration was functioning well enough since it is a relatively new government, formed last December.
The government now functions with just five state executive councillors including Abu Bakar as the Mentri Besar after its ally in the Opposition bloc of Perikatan Nasional (PN), PAS withdrew from the state government last December.
The five are all from Bersatu, while they are assisted by three senior civil servants - a state secretary, treasurer and legal adviser.
This came after Bersatu and the three now independent backbenchers supported a move to remove then PAS Mentri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli as the top executive.
The smallest state in the country was embroiled briefly in a constitutional crisis until it was decreed that Abu Bakar from Bersatu would take over the governance.
Responding to Shukri's assertion on why the assembly was postponed, Abu Bakar said that a new date would be disclosed later this week.
When asked about pressure from PAS, Abu Bakar replied that he is not afraid of any attempt to undermine his leadership.
"What is of ultimate importance, is the administration of the state is run well and the needs of the people here are addressed. We have to ensure that the state does not lag behind others," said Abu Bakar.
The sole Opposition figure in Perlis, Gan Ay Ling, who is the assemblyperson for Indera Kayangan, said that there is no reason cited for the postponement other than Abu Bakar's clarifications.
She urged every elected representative to focus on serving the people. - April 21, 2026.
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