THE Perlis menteri besar crisis is moving to the courts as Perlis Barisan Nasional has filed a suit challenging Azlan Man’s legitimacy in the top post.

The suit against Azlan is over the fact that the Bintong state assemblyman does not have the support of the majority of the elected representatives in the 15-seat state legislature.

“Perlis BN is only contesting Azlan’s legitimacy as the menteri besar. We are not challenging the Raja Perlis’ decision,” a highly-placed source in Perlis BN told The Malaysian Insight.

The source said Perlis BN blamed Azlan for not truthfully informing the raja of Perlis that he did not have the support of the majority of the state’s lawmakers.

Along with Azlan, who is also from BN, the coalition controls 10 seats in the assembly. PKR controls three seats, while PAS holds two.    

However, nine of the 10 state BN representatives have rejected Azlan’s appointment as the menteri besar despite the latter being chosen by Raja Perlis Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail.

The suit was filed at the Perlis court on May 28, the source said.

A lawyer representing Perlis BN, Thalia Rohainda Abdul Latiff, refused to comment when contacted.

“It is not appropriate for me to talk about this now,” Thalia said when contacted by The Malaysian Insight.

The Perlis BN source said the suit would refer to two provisions in the Perlis constitution of 1948.

Section 39(2)(a) states that the raja of Perlis should appoint someone who, in his view, has the support of the majority of state assemblymen, as the menteri besar.

Section 39(6) states that the menteri besar must resign if he no longer enjoys the support of the majority of state assemblymen.  

“This is what has happened to Azlan. He has lost the majority’s support,” the source said.

The crisis was triggered when the raja of Perlis’ choice of Menteri Besar, Azlan, lost support from the nine remaining state BN representatives.

Azlan has however begun his duties as menteri besar. – June 3, 2018.