PUTRAJAYA, Feb 19 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi accused the Pakatan Rakyat today of trying to overthrow the Barisan Nasional's Perak state government.
He said Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir would now be lodging a police report against the expulsion of the entire executive council lineup by the speaker of the state assembly.
Speaking to reporters at his residence here today, he said he had suggested the idea and Zambry had told him that "he has the same idea and that is what he wants to do".
Describing as "ridiculous" the move by Speaker V. Sivakumar, who is also chairman of the state assembly's rights and privileges committee, to suspend Zambry and his six executive councillors for 18 and 12 months respectively, Abdullah said the Speaker had no right to expel the seven Barisan Nasional assemblymen.
"The menteri besar and exco have been sworn in by the Sultan and are legally appointed. I regard the speaker's action as wrong, disrespectful and disregarding what the Sultan has decided according to the Perak Constitution," he said.
"The Perak government should report to the police as they have the right to be present when the assembly meets," the BN chairman added.
He also called the move as a "ploy" by Pakatan Rakyat to overthrow the BN administration as PR would have a majority in the assembly and win a vote of confidence should the seven lawmakers not be allowed to sit in the assembly.
"It is a ploy that is not done in good faith. What they are doing is to try to wreck and stop BN from governing in a fair manner," he said.
Abdullah insisted that there was no need to call for snap elections as the BN government in Perak would continue to function "as demanded by the people as the legitimate government" and that its continued administration was in the best interest of the state.
"The people feel uneasy with what has happened. When PR won, we gave them way. Now when the situation has changed and we have the support, BN will rule," he added.
He also said it was not necessary for the civil service to take over the administration while the impasse is being resolved as had happened in Kelantan previously, as BN had a sufficient majority to form the government.
The continuing constitutional crisis in Perak comes after BN chairman-elect Datuk Seri Najib Razak had masterminded a Feb 5 takeover of the state which saw four assemblymen pulling out of PR and supporting BN.
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