IPOH: A DAP leader said the party wanted to show it was “mature” by supporting a motion in the Perak state assembly expressing support for Saarani Mohamad as the new menteri besar today.
Perak DAP vice-chairman and state assembly opposition leader Aziz Bari said their support was also to give Saarani a chance to prove his commitment.
“However, DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) will continue to play our role as the opposition effectively to ensure that the state government carries out its responsibility,” he told FMT.
Aziz, who is also the assemblyman for Tebing Tinggi, added that Saarani would still be menteri besar whether or not the opposition supported the motion, as the new state government held 33 of the 59 seats in the state assembly.
Earlier today, all 59 Perak assemblymen, including those from PH, supported a motion in the state assembly to express support for Saarani as the new Perak menteri besar.
State assembly speaker Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid asked all assemblymen in support of the motion to stand, and all the elected representatives stood up.
Meanwhile, Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming said PH had reached a consensus with Saarani over several important matters in the budget that was tabled today.
“For the first time in history, PH and the new Perak menteri besar have reached a consensus on several matters.
“The consensus includes equal annual allocations for all assemblymen and allowing all elected representatives to be members of the district action committee, district focus group committee and district disaster management committee,” he said at a press conference.
He said the state government also agreed to amend the state assembly’s standing orders to give official recognition to the post of opposition leader with reasonable allowances and emoluments.
“This (consensus) includes the agreement to amend the standing orders to allow the chairman of the public accounts committee to be appointed from among opposition assemblymen,” he said.