THE Perlis crisis deepened when Menteri Besar Azlan Man was sacked from Umno just hours after he was sworn in.

Nine Umno assemblymen had boycotted the 11am ceremony, fuelling speculation the Bintong state rep was not the party’s choice for the post.

Perlis Umno chief Shahidan Kassim said the party had sacked Azlan, 60, for not following its choice for the post, Ismail Kassim.

Malaysia’s tiniest state has 15 state seats and had a similar controversy in 2008 when the appointment of the menteri besar dragged on for two weeks after the polls.

Azlan’s appointment today is also two weeks after the May 9 polls, where the Umno-led Barisan Nasional BN lost disastrously, keeping only the Perlis and Pahang state legislatures.

Shahidan said the Raja of Perlis should respect the decision of the Barisan Nasional leadership.

He said the ruler, Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail should not interfere in affairs relating to the state administration.

“He should not have sworn Azlan in as the menteri besar, he does not have support. Pakatan Harapan and PAS also do not support him,” he said hours after this morning’s swearing-in ceremony in Kangar today.

Azlan took his oath of office as the menteri besar of the new Perlis government at Istana Arau in a ceremony unattended by nine other BN state assemblymen.

The state’s three Pakatan Harapan (PH) and two PAS assemblymen attended the swearing-in ceremony before the Raja of Perlis.

BN had won 10 of the 15 seats in the state legislative assembly in the general election on May 9. PH had won three seats and PAS, two.

“If this is the case (then) there was no need for an election. Just appoint him right away. We do not agree to Azlan’s appointment.

“Therefore we have sacked Azlan. He can be a partyless menteri besar,” he said during a press conference attended by the nine assemblymen from the state.

Shahidan then appealed to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to intervene in the standoff, saying that nine out of the 10 BN state assemblymen supported Ismail Kassim for the menteri besar role.

“We won two-thirds majority of the state assembly. He (Azlan) does not have any support. We the people of Perlis are being mistreated, and we appeal for help from Dr Mahathir; I appeal to the prime minister to intervene,” he told a press conference.

“The selection of a menteri besar must be by the majority, not by a king or governor. Even the appointment of a prime minister is so. Bersatu has 12 (parliamentary) seats. The majority of Pakatan Harapan MPs want Dr Mahathir, so he is made prime minister,” said Shahidan. – May 24, 2018.