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Sunday 24 May 2009

Emergency assembly an option to end Perak crisis, says Najib

By Shannon Teoh - The Malaysian Insider

PUCHONG, MAY 24 - Hoping for an end to the Perak crisis, the prime minister today said that an emergency assembly is an option to end the impasse.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said this when asked if such a move could short-circuit plans to appeal to the Federal Court by establishing that Barisan Nasional (BN) is in control.

"That is an option for us but it is not the only way to show majority," Najib said of an emergency sitting.

"We hope that there is finality although I understand that there is a high probability of an appeal. They have the right and we accept that," said the Umno president who has been blamed by the opposition for engineering the Perak power grab.

After 16 weeks of dispute, the Court of Appeal had on Thursday declared Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir as the rightful mentri besar.

But Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are ready to make a further appeal to the Federal Court to uphold an earlier High Court decision which had ruled in Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin's favour.

Najib also took a swipe at PR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who had questioned the integrity of the judiciary after the Court of Appeal had overruled the High Court.

"He himself tried to establish federal government by defections," he said, referring to Anwar's Sept 16 takeover plan.

"So, the judiciary is right in saying it is legal," Najib concluded.

He also claimed that that several international law experts had supported his view, including Queen's Counsel Lord Anthony Lester of Herne Hill, who advises the British crown.

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