TERENGGANU MB CRISIS

Kijal assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Said was appointed the new Menteri Besar of Terengganu, the office of the Sultan of Terengganu announced today. Ahmad is expected to take the oath of office in Kuala Terengganu tomorrow. However, the appointment was immediately met with a threat to boycott the swearing-in ceremony by 23 BN assemblymen, including Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, the representative ousted from the Mentri Besar job.

"In accordance with Clause 14 Paragraph (2) (a) of the Terengganu State Constitution (Chapter 2), the Regency Advisory Council, in undertaking the function on behalf of the Regent, hereby appoints Datuk Ahmad Said as the Menteri Besar of Terengganu to head the Terengganu State Executive Council," a palace statement said. “What we have now is a royal constitutional crisis,” constitutional law expert Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi opined in an immediate reaction in Kuala Lumpur. BN had retained 24 of the 32 seats in the Terengganu assembly in the March 8 polls. Ahmad, 51, who has been the assemblyman for Kijal since 1990, succeeds Idris, also the Terengganu Umno chief and Jertih assemblyman who was menteri besar for one term from 2004.


Both INTERESTING and CONFUSING. Who did actually is calling the shot? The SULTAN of TERENGGANU OR the REGENCY ADVISORY COUNCIL?? There was a rumor of certain UMNO leaders (especially in Terengganu) advising the Regency Council who later advised Tuanku Mizan in NOT APPOINTING IDRIS JUSOH to become the Menteri Besar (its important to note that actual power to appoint in Terengganu, since Tuanku Mizan is an Agung; lies with the Regency Advisory Council). But different from what had happened in Perlis, Idris Jusoh not only had the Watikah Perlantikan (Appointment decree) from PM Abdullah but also the support of the majority ADUN in Terengganu. What he didnt have is the blessing from the Tuanku and the Regency Council.

Im not so much sure about the Rakyat, but i can safely assumed, since BN won Terengganu, the Rakyat of Terengganu were with him (or BN for that matter). But what actually is going on in Terengganu? What are the 'IT' things that we dont know about Idris that had much to do with this turmoils? If the palace still decides to appoint YB Ahmad Said, and Ahmad Said still favoring that appointment of him, then im afraid THE WORST will happen. We even might see some Royal Constitutions being amended later in Parliament, although without having 2/3 majority in the Dewan Rakyat, it will take ages for it (or anything else) to pass the bill. Royal (monarchy) interferences in Malaysian politic is never a welcome proposition although its a TABOO to be opened and franked about it. But so much so the political situation and openness in Malaysia now, anyone will have themselves pulling any side of the bed sheet to cover their political ambitions. And for a country that still has very high regards and respects for the Sultans, their WISDOM and TITAH (words) are not the kind of thing that can be taken lightly and for granted. What more when the Sultan is the one with power to appoint Menteri Besar (but not without certain rules attached to it). But in this case (Terengganu) its seen as the Sultan and his council are against the wishes of many. Lets OPEN the cards and let THE DOGS OUT. The RAKYAT want to know WHY? Get this done and over with. Any which side it may ends, the price to pay is definitely NOT WORTH the RAKYAT TEARS.