THREE Pakatan Harapan state governments are set to fall to the new federal ruling pact Perikatan Nasional, making it a total of eight states in the hands of the Muhyiddin Yassin-led government.

After Johor, which was taken over by a Bersatu-Umno administration, the other PH states expected to fall soon are Malacca, Perak and Kedah.

As it stands, PAS and Umno rule Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.

And PN’s ally, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), is the ruling pact in Sarawak.

Paya Rumput assemblyman Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen told The Malaysian Insight that a new Malacca government will be formed soon following the same partnership formula in Putrajaya.

“We will follow the formula led by Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime minister.

“Malacca will follow suit. As for now we have 16 state seats compared to 12 in the hands of Pakatan Harapan.”

Rafiq, from Bersatu, said he and two other state assemblymen – Bersatu’s Telok Mas rep Noor Effandi Ahmad and PKR’s Rembia assemblyman Muhammad Jailani Khamis – will join the new coalition.

Discussions with the Umno leadership will soon take place before meeting the Yang di-Pertua Negeri to show proof of a majority support.

“We choose to form a new state government and will meet the TYT after discussing the matter with the Umno leadership.

“We will meet up as soon as possible. God willing in a week we can have this settled.”

Meanwhile, over in Perak, menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu, from Bersatu, also said that a new government may be formed under Perikatan Nasional following the newly minted government in Putrajaya.

He will seek an audience with Sultan Nazrin Shah to inform the ruler on this latest development.

Together with PAS, Umno, and independents, Bersatu has 31 seats while PH has 28 in Perak.

In Kedah, the state government under Mukhriz Mahathir is also unstable following the change of government in Putrajaya.

Mukhriz remains as menteri besar under a Bersatu-PH partnership after his party left the coalition last week.

This understanding, however, will come be tested since Mukhriz is deemed to have lost the confidence of his own party, and based on the fact that Bersatu is partnering Umno and PAS at the federal level.

PN needs one or two more PH candidates to form a new government in Kedah.

Bersatu is also affected as party chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad was sacked following Muhyiddin’s ascent as prime minister.

On Friday, Johor Umno liaison chairman Hasni Mohammad was sworn in as the 18th menteri besar before Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, making way for a Umno-Bersatu state government.

With these changes to come in the coming weeks, PH looks likely to only remain in power in Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan, while its ally Warisan rules Sabah. – March 2, 2020.