The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has finally agreed to give up its fight to remove Barisan Nasional (BN) Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir or call for snap polls after the Federal Court ruling showed the futility of their struggle.

Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said last night the PR leadership had decided it was time to move on and work towards becoming a strong opposition in the state government.

“In the past we have always been talking about ‘Bubar DUN, Bubar DUN’ (dissolve the assembly). However, since Zambry has no intention to do this, we have to be a force to determine our own journey as state assemblymen,” he told a late night press conference here.

“For the good of Perakians, we have decided to become a strong opposition in the state assembly and lend our services to the Barisan Nasional government in implementing policies that are good for the people.

“We will extend our open hearts and hands to all good policies introduced by the government,” Nizar added.

He added however the PR’s willingness to cooperate did not come without condition.

“We have seen in the past one year that many public premises such as multi-purpose halls have been closed to PR assemblymen.

“Our people have also been denied their rights to membership in certain district action committees. We want all this changed,” said the Pasir Panjang assemblyman.

Nizar also said that the PR would give its full cooperation if the BN government agreed to four conditions — to allow PR parties to use public premises for the purpose of hosting functions, give memberships to PR assemblymen in special committees, provide all PR assemblymen with allocations to the tune of RM150,000 or RM200,000 and for the BN government to base its administration on the principles of honesty, integrity, transparency, justice and welfare.

“We do no want any policies that are made based on discrimination of races. On this note, we will work together with Zambry so we can banish all elements of racial discrimination and segregation in the state,” said Nizar.

The fiery engineer however refused to agree that the PR had exited this fight with their tails between their legs and insisted that the surprising decision did not mean they were conceding defeat.

“No, it is not at all (conceding defeat). It is because of our respect for the (Federal Court’s) decision, we have to change our strategy so we are not conceding. We are just shifting our focus from demanding for the dissolution of the assembly to this, for the good of the people.

“As far as we are concerned, they (BN) are still an illegal government. We still humbly request for Zambry to return the people’s rights. He will be more respected if he goes and seeks for a dissolution,” Nizar said after a two-hour meeting with PR assemblymen.

Former senior state executive councillor Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham concurred with Nizar and said that today’s appeal matter was the “only licence for us to go back to the Sultan to seek a dissolution”.

“However, since that avenue is no longer available, and Zambry is adamant that he would not seek for a dissolution, we feel we had to change our strategy,” he said.

Nizar added that the BN government was an “immoral one” that was founded on a “power grab” and defections from the three political ‘frogs’ — Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, Changkat Jering assemblyman Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu and Jelapang assemblyman Hee Yit Foong.

“This is an immoral government and a weak one because of this. These three frogs will be able to make any demands they deem fit and the BN will have to give in to them.

“Their administration is merely based on the support from these three,” he said.

Without the support from the three who are BN-friendly Independents, BN and PR hold even scores in the state assembly with 28 assemblymen on either side.

Meanwhile, despite having accepted today’s apex court’s ruling and admitting that all legal avenues had been exhausted, the PR still insist they have one more hope. “(Ousted Speaker) V. Sivakumar is still the rightful Speaker of Perak. We still believe this because Datuk R. Ganesan was not appointed in a legal manner.

“He (Ganesan) is an ‘orang haram’ from Sungkai. He is not even an assemblyman,” said Nizar.

He added that the PR would still not listen to orders given by Ganesan but declined to comment if they would attend the next state assembly sitting, which has to be convened before the end of April.

Nizar also noted that Sivakumar’s case against the Election Commission and the three “frogs” was still pending in court.

On whether he planned to review today’s Federal Court ruling as allowed under Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court, Nizar said:

“No. Not at the moment. We have not yet read the grounds of judgement and the provision to review the decision could merely be theoretical so we might not bother,” he said.

The PR’s decision tonight, although some might insist is still a form of conceding defeat, looks to be the only path left to take especially if their fallen leaders still want a place in the Perak government after the 13th general election.

By Clara Chooi

IPOH, Feb 10 —

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/52614-pakatan-gives-up-to-work-with-bn-in-perak