PETALING JAYA, 6 Feb 2009: Pakatan Rakyat said it will file a suit to challenge the validity of the appointment of the new Perak Menteri Besar from Barisan Nasional (BN).
“The panel of lawyers is studying this. We maintain that Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is the legitimate menteri besar,” Pakatan Rakyat said in a statement today.
It also condemned the BN’s seizure of power in Perak and the rude way in which Nizar was treated and the items in his office seized.
Nizar was today escorted by police out of the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building, which houses the Menteri Besar’s office.
Bernama reported that the move was taken after Nizar and the other Pakatan Rakyat state executive councillors refused to step down, and persisted in entering their offices, despite Sultan Azlan Shah’s order for them to resign.
The Pakatan Rakyat statement was signed by Opposition Leader and Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa.
It also commented on the public demonstrations in Perak following the Perak Sultan’s decision to allow the BN to form the new state government.
“We urge all parties to act in a peaceful and well-mannered way. We appeal to the police to carry out their duty professionally and not cause any provocation or chaos,” it said.
At 4.02pm today, Pangkor state assemblyperson Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir was sworn in as the new BN Perak Menteri Besar before the Sultan at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar, Perak.
All 28 Pakatan Rakyat assemblypersons in Perak boycotted the ceremony, and their supporters staged a demonstration outside the Ubudiah Mosque, just 300m from the palace.
Some among the crowd were seen hurling sticks and bottles at the police and vehicles passing through Jalan Istana, Bernama reported.
The political crisis in Perak began with the defection of Bota assemblyperson Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim from Umno to PKR on 25 Jan. However, on 4 Feb, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Perak BN chairperson, announced that Nasaruddin had rejoined Umno.
Three other assemblypersons from Pakatan Rakyat – Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang), Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering) and Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang) – announced they had become independents. Jamaluddin and Mohd Osman, both formerly from PKR, are facing corruption charges. Hee was from the DAP.
This left the Pakatan Rakyat and the BN with 28 seats each. However, the BN claimed to have the majority support because Jamaluddin, Mohd Osman and Hee said they would support the BN in any vote in the Perak legislative assembly.
Nizar met the Sultan on 4 Feb to seek consent for the state assembly to be dissolved. Najib went to meet the Ruler the following day to show that the BN had the majority support to form the new state government.
The Sultan later issued a statement that Nizar was to resign as MB with immediate effect. 
Antares says
Good man, Nizar. I salute you. You and some of your young colleagues in PAS are truly an intellectual and moral force to be reckoned with. Absolutely sterling performance as Menteri Besar of Perak, bravo! May your administration be formally reinstated by the courts ASAP. We’re through with feudalism and the ugly corruption it breeds.