It’s treason, says Syed Hamid
(The Star) Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin’s refusal to resign as mentri besar as directed by the Sultan of Perak is an act of treason, said Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.
He said Pakatan Rakyat had lost its majority in the state assembly and Sultan Azlan Shah had chosen to invite the Barisan Nasional to form the government instead of calling for a dissolution.
He was commenting on Perak Pakatan Rakyat which insisted that it was still the government despite Barisan’s Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir being sworn in as the Mentri Besar on Friday.
He was speaking to reporters here after attending the Hari Rela celebrations.
Syed Hamid, who is also the Home Minister, said police would act against anyone who tried to disrupt the constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy system through street demonstrations and SMSes.
Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muh- yiddin Yassin said Pakatan Rakyat’s legal advisers should tell Nizar to respect the Sultan’s decision.
Muhyiddin, who is International Trade and Industry Minister, said Pakatan’s legal advisers should not allow Perak to have two mentris besar as it would only cause confusion and hinder administration of the state.
He said it was important for Pakatan to respect the Ruler’s decision as no one would want to see Nizar commit treason against the Sultan.
He was speaking after launching a community programme organised by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysian in Kampung Kundang Ulu near Muar yesterday.
Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said the institution of royalty should not be tarnished.
“We must not let our political ideologies influence us to go against the law and challenge the position of the Sultan,” he told reporters after attending the Gong Xi Muhibbah celebration at Chin Woo Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafizah Aziz called on the authorities in Perak to take action against Nizar and his executive councillors for continuously defying orders of the Sultan.
“It is clear that they refused to accept and respect the decision of the Sultan who acted in accordance with the state constitution,” she said in a statement.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, meanwhile, said DAP chairman Karpal Singh should be detained under the Internal Security Act or have his citizenship revoked.
Karpal Singh had threatened to sue the Sultan for refusing to dissolve the Perak state assembly and swearing in Dr Zambry as the new Mentri Besar.
He said that similar action should be taken against Opposition leaders, including Nizar, for going against the Sultan.
