NORTHERN STATE RULER ORDERS CHIEF MINISTER TO RESIGN, NO DISSOLUTION

IPOH (Malaysia), Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Northern state of Perak Ruler Sultan
Azlan Shah has decided not to give his consent to the dissolution of the state
assembly and has ordered Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Mohammad Nizar
Jamaluddin and his state executive council to step down with immediate effect.

The office of the Sultan of Perak, in a statement Thursday, said that after
meeting all the 28 ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen and the three
independents, the sultan was convinced that Mohammad Nizar had ceased to command
the confidence of the majority of the state assembly members.

"If Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin does not resign his post as Perak menteri
besar together with the members of the state executive council, the posts of
menteri besar and state executive councillors are considered vacant," the
statement said.

The four-page statement, signed by the sultan's private secretary, Col Abdul
Rahim Mohamad Nor, was issued at 2.15pm.

It said that Mohammad Nizar had an audience with the sultan Wednesday to
seek the sultan's consent to dissolve the Perak state assembly.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, as Perak Barisan Nasional chairman, also
sought an audience with the sultan and was granted one Thursday.

At the audience this morning, he informed the ruler that the BN and its
supporters, altogether numbering 31, now had the majority in the state assembly.

The statement said that the sultan, to verify the information, summoned all
the 31 assemblymen before him.

"After meeting the 31 state assemblymen, his Royal Highness, the Sultan of
Perak was convinced that Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had ceased to command the
confidence of the majority of the state assembly members," it said.

It also said that the sultan had considered thoroughly Mohammad Nizar's
application Wednesday for consent to dissolve the Perak state assembly.

"His Royal Highness used his discretion under Article XVIII (2)(b)
of the Perak state constitution and did not consent to the dissolution of the
Perak state assembly," it added.

Mohammad Nizar was summoned to an audience to be informed of the sultan's
decision not to dissolve the state government and in accordance with the
provisions of XVI (6) of the state constitution, Sultan Azlan Shah ordered him
to resign from his post as Perak chief minister together with the members of the
state executive council with immediate effect, the statement said.

In the March 8 general election last year, Perak was one of the five states
won by the opposition.
-- BERNAMA