It is now the Sultan’s call

Najib speaks to the press at the Perak Umno headquarters in Ipoh this afternoon. — Picture by Choo Choy May

UPDATED 1.20pm

By Adib Zalkapli and Lee Wei Lian

IPOH, Feb 5 — Sultan Azlan Shah has concluded a busy morning of talks with both Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a bid to break the political impasse in the state.

He met Najib twice before summoning Nizar to his palace as well.

"Signs are good," Nizar told reporters as he left the palace.

But Najib was equally optimistic that the Sultan would rule in his favour and allow Barisan Nasional to form the state government.

In his second audience with the Sultan, Najib brought along the 28 BN state legislators and the three independents backing the coalition to see the Ruler to make his case for a new government.

"A second audience with the Sultan was arranged. It was attended by all 27 Barisan state assemblymen and Datuk Nasarudin Hashim, who has returned to BN, together with the three state representatives who left their parties and are now supporting Barisan.

"All of them pledged their support to Barisan and the person to be appointed as the menteri besar later, before the Sultan," Najib told reporters before chairing the state Umno liaison committee meeting.

He said the final decision now rests with the Sultan.

Najib added that BN would respect and abide by the Ruler's decision, even if meant the dissolution of the state assembly to enable fresh state elections to be called.

Nizar's Pakatan Rakyat government has filed a suit to declare three state seats vacant after their representatives turned independent. The three — from Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang — have thrown their support behind BN, which also accepted back the Bota assemblyman who had defected earlier.

Pakatan Rakyat hopes this move will force the Perak Sultan to accede to a request to dissolve the 59-seat assembly and pave the way for snap polls.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected in Ipoh later this afternoon to give support to Nizar's government.

Anwar is also expected to lead a mammoth public gathering at the menteri besar's residence in support of the PR alliance in Perak.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has, however, warned the public against attending any illegal gathering.

Earlier, Najib was granted an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah this morning a day after he declared BN has enough support to form the state government.

Najib was seen entering Istana Kinta here around 10am accompanied by Bagan Datok MP Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and other BN officials.

The cheerful-looking Najib and the state Umno deputy chief Zahid left the palace about 30 minutes later.

When met later Najib said that he had informed the Ruler that BN has the majority in the state assembly and intent to form the new state government.

He added that the Sultan had expressed his wish to meet all 31 BN supporters in the assembly before the decision on the new state government can be made.

"We will respect whatever decision made by the Sultan as it is his discretion," Najib told reporters at the state Umno building.

The deputy prime minister, who is also the Perak BN chairman, announced yesterday the coalition now enjoys the support of 28 of its assemblymen and three independents in the legislative assembly with 59 members.

The state BN's success in toppling the PR government would give legitimacy to Najib's leadership as he is slated to take over the premiership by the end of March, after suffering a blow with the defeat in the Kuala Terengganu by-election.