AHMAD Faizal Azumu has lost a vote of confidence in the Perak assembly and will quit as menteri besar.

Forty-eight assemblyman voted against him in the 59 seat legislature while 10 voted for him. There was one spoilt vote.

“Fifty-nine ballots were given out and only 10 have agreed (to maintain Faizal) while 48 disagreed. There was one spoilt vote,” said Perak Speaker Zahid Abdul Khalid.

The confidence motion against Faizal, who is the Chenderiang assemblyman, was filed by Umno’s Pengkalan Baharu assemblyman Abdul Mana Hashim last month.

According to a letter sighted by The Malaysian Insight, Umno’s Pengkalan Baru assemblyman Abdul Manaf Hashim has requested the Perak assembly to test Faizal’s support in the silver state.

Manaf’s motion reads as follows: “That the Perak assembly allows a motion in accordance with Perak Assembly Standing Orders 27(3) to resolve that Chenderiang assemblyman Ahmad Faizal Azumu has the confidence of the Perak assemblymen to be menteri besar.”

Faisal was appointed as Perak MB after PH won the state in 2018. Although Bersatu had the fewest assemblymen, PH decided to appoint him due to the power sharing agreement it had with Bersatu.

Following the collapse of PH at the federal level in February, Faisal resigned as the Pakatan MB to form a new state government with Barisan Nasional and PAS.

Despite Bersatu having just five assemblymen to Umno’s 25 and PAS’ three, Faizal was reappointed in March after PN took over the state.

The PN government is currently supported by eight PN assemblymen and 25 from BN, and also has support from one Gerakan assemblyman and one independent in the 59-seat state assembly.

The opposition in Perak is made up of 24 assemblymen in PH – DAP (16), Amanah (five) and PKR (three). – December 4, 2020.