KUALA LUMPUR: A heated exchange broke out in the Dewan Rakyat today between Jelutong Member of Parliament RSN Rayer and former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over recent political turmoil in Perlis.
Rayer, seeking clarification from the Pagoh MP, drew a comparison between national political stability and the crisis in the northern state.
“In a stable political situation with a strong government, we can face any challenges, compared with what happened in Perlis,” Rayer said.
He posed the question while Muhyiddin was debating the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address and speaking on the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Malaysia and the United States.
Muhyiddin dismissed the remark as irrelevant to the debate.
“Not very relevant to what we are discussing,” he said, prompting Rayer to insist otherwise.
“Relevant, Pagoh! Relevant! Political stability is relevant!” Rayer retorted.
Muhyiddin accused Rayer of deliberately raising the issue with ill intent.
“You are intentionally bringing this up to show intentions that, I think, are not good,” he said.
He stressed that the Perlis issue had already been resolved in accordance with constitutional processes.
“The problem in Perlis has already been settled and handled in line with the responsibilities of His Royal Highness the Raja of Perlis,” he said.
Rayer then questioned Perikatan Nasional’s ability to govern.
“If even a small state cannot be governed, the country will be destroyed if Perikatan Nasional rules,” he said.
Muhyiddin rejected the claim, maintaining that the matter had been managed prudently.
“Not destroyed. Perlis is a sovereign state, and it has been resolved wisely,” he said.
In December, Mohd Shukri Ramli resigned as Perlis Menteri Besar, citing health reasons. The resignation came after eight PN assemblymen, including three from Pas, withdrew their support for him.
Pas has since sacked the three assemblymen — Mohd Ridzuan Hashim (Guar Sanji), Saad Seman (Chuping) and Fakhrul Anwar Ismail (Bintong) — and their seats were declared vacant by the State Legislative Assembly Speaker.
Later that month, Bersatu’s Kuala Perlis assemblyman Abu Bakar Hamzah was sworn in as the new Menteri Besar.
Meanwhile, the three former Pas assemblymen have filed an originating summons against the Speaker, challenging the declaration of their seats as vacant.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
