IPOH – The move by three Perak assemblymen to join the newly launched Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) on December 21 has not affected the stability of the state government, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
This, he said, was because the assemblymen did not withdraw their support for the government but only switched party affiliation.
“As long as the government has sufficient seats, there will be no effect, as we still have 36 seats in support of the government,” he said.
Saarani said this at a media conference after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony of the project to upgrade Jalan Tambun, here, today.
The event was also attended by Youth and Sports Minister and Tambun MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
The three assemblymen who joined PBM are A. Sivasubramaniam (Buntong), Paul Yong Choo Kiong (Tronoh) and Leong Cheok Keng (Malim Nawar).
Leong reportedly clarified their positions in the Perak assembly, saying the three of them still supported the Saarani-led government, in line with PBM president Larry Sng’s decision that the party, at the federal level, supports Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
In the party elections on January 8, Sivasubramaniam was elected as PBM senior vice-president II while Yong was appointed as the treasurer general.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Faizal said he could not get hold of Sivasubramaniam and Yong, who were previously associate members of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), to confirm the matter.
“I sent messages to both of them to clarify the matter but have not received replies. Therefore, I cannot confirm… But it is okay, because the Perak state government is still intact and this is the most important thing.
“I believe the Menteri Besar will focus on the people’s problems. We will help and give full support to the state government under his leadership. We are confident that the current administration is running very well,” he added.
Saarani currently has the support of 36 assemblymen, with Barisan Nasional having 25 seats, followed by Bersatu (four), PAS and PBM (three seats each) and Independent (one).
The Perak assembly has a total of 59 members and needs 30 seats for a simple majority.
Earlier, Saarani said the Ipoh City Council-Sunway City Ipoh Sdn Bhd joint project to upgrade a 5.2km Jalan Tambun stretch would cost RM16.35 million.
The project, which began on April 1, 2021, is expected to be completed in September. – Bernama, January 10, 2022
