2008 Perak state election

Last updated
2008 Perak state election
Flag of Perak.svg
← 20048 March 2008 2013  →
59 seats to the Perak State Legislative Assembly
30 seats needed for a majority
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
  3x4.svg Datuk Ngeh KH.jpg 3x4.svg
Leader Tajol Rosli Mohd Ghazali Ngeh Koo Ham Zulkifly Ibrahim
Party UMNO DAP PKR
Alliance Barisan Nasional DAP-PAS-PKR coalition (informal) DAP-PAS-PKR coalition (informal)
Leader since200320002007
Leader's seat Pengkalan Hulu Sitiawan Bukit Chandan (lost)
Last election5270
Seats won28187
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 24Increase2.svg 11Increase2.svg 7
Popular vote399,565 [lower-alpha 1] 188,484118,824
Percentage47.35%22.34%14.08%
 Fourth party
 
Leader Ahmad Awang
Party PAS
Alliance DAP-PAS-PKR coalition (informal)
Leader since2003
Leader's seatNot contesting
Last election0
Seats won6
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 6
Popular vote135,352
Percentage16.04%
Menteri Besar before election

Tajol Rosli Mohd Ghazali
Barisan Nasional (UMNO)

Elected Menteri Besar

Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin
Pakatan Rakyat (PAS)

The 12th Perak state election was held on 8 March 2008. Polling took place in 59 constituencies throughout the State of Perak, with each electing a state assemblyman to the Perak State Legislative Assembly. The election was conducted by the Malaysian Election Commission. The state election was held concurrently with the 2008 Malaysian general election.

Contents

The election proved to be a watershed in Perak's history, as the incumbent government from Barisan Nasional (BN) was handed an unprecedented and shocking defeat by the opposition, making the election the second time Perak's ruling party was voted out of power; the first was in 1969 when then Alliance Party failed to gain a majority against opposition parties. The informal coalition of Democratic Action Party (DAP), Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won 31 seats out of the 59 seats, gaining a simple majority in the Perak State Legislative Assembly. [1]

Background

Political parties

Electoral divisions

Issues

Campaign

Social media

Rallies

Results

Party or allianceVotes%Seats+/–
DAP-PAS-PKR coalition Democratic Action Party 188,48422.3418+11
People's Justice Party 118,82414.087+7
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 135,35216.046+6
Total442,66052.4631+24
Barisan Nasional United Malays National Organisation 243,67228.8827–7
Malaysian Chinese Association 98,34111.651–9
Malaysian Indian Congress 24,2162.870–4
Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia 27,5953.270–4
People's Progressive Party 5,7410.6800
Total399,56547.3528–24
Independents1,6350.1900
Total843,860100.00590
Valid votes843,86097.59
Invalid/blank votes20,8442.41
Total votes864,704100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,196,16072.29
Source: The Star

Aftermath

Menteri Besar and State EXCO appointment controversy

Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the appointed Menteri Besar of Perak. Datuk Seri Ir Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.jpg
Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, the appointed Menteri Besar of Perak.

As the party with the largest number of MLAs in the winning bloc, DAP has the priority in choosing the new Menteri Besar. However the state constitution required the Menteri Besar to be Malay-Muslim, and as all of DAP MLAs are not Malay-Muslim, this disqualifies DAP from having a Menteri Besar candidate, although there is a provision in the state constitution that allows the Sultan of Perak to waive this requirement at his discretion. Regardless, DAP nominated its state chief and MLA for Sitiawan, Ngeh Koo Ham as its candidate. PAS also named Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, MLA for Pasir Panjang and PAS Perak Secretary as its candidate. From PKR, it nominated its state treasurer and MLA for Behrang, Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi. The list of names were submitted to the Regent of Perak to be extended to the Sultan of Perak, in an meeting between leader of the coalition and the Regent on 10 March. [2]

The crisis seemingly was averted when Nizar was named the Sultan's choice of the new Menteri Besar of Perak on 12 March 2008, and were planned to be sworn in on the next day. [3] However DAP Adviser Lim Kit Siang announced his party's disapproval of the decision on the same day, and threatened for DAP to boycott the swearing-in ceremony. [4] [5] Although Lim later apologized to Sultan of Perak and the Regent of Perak for his statement and DAP retracted their boycott threat, [6] [7] [8] PKR through its deputy president Syed Husin Ali voiced their disagreement about the state EXCO member composition which are not favourable to PKR, and threatened to pull out of the state government. [9] The argument were resolved on 14 March, after further discussion between the three parties, when it was decided that DAP would hold 6 EXCO posts including Ngeh as Deputy Menteri Besar 1, PKR 3 Exco posts including an Indian PKR MLA as Deputy Menteri Besar 2, and PAS 1 Exco post, who all will work together with the Menteri Besar-elect, Nizar. [10]

Nizar were finally sworn in on 17 March (coincidentally on Nizar's birthday), in front of the Regent of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah, after the 4-day delay from the original swear-in date caused by DAP-PKR-PAS disagreements. [11] [12] [13] After further discussions between the three parties, [14] the 10 state EXCO members were sworn in on 28 March, initially without portfolio announced; [15] [16] the portfolio for each EXCO member was confirmed two days later after the first EXCO meeting, which saw the 2 Deputy Menteri Besar posts announced earlier dropped in favour of Ngeh as senior EXCO member. [17] In response of the EXCO composition of only one Indian MLA appointed, A. Sivasubramaniam, the MLA for Buntong, resigned from DAP on 31 March, claiming DAP did not fulfill the promise of appointing two Indian MLA in the state EXCO; he retracted his resignation several hours later after discussion with the party leaders. [18]

The DAP-PKR-PAS coalition were later known as Pakatan Rakyat from 1 April 2008. [19]

BN post-mortem

On 25 January 2009, BN's MLA for Bota, Nasarudin Hashim, announced his resignation from UMNO and BN, and joining PR and PKR. [20] Bearing responsibility for the defection of Nasaruddin, Perak state BN and UMNO chief and also former Menteri Besar, Tajol Rosli Mohd Ghazali, tendered his resignation of all the party posts, which was accepted by UMNO's Supreme Council on 30 January. [21] However on 4 February, Nasaruddin announced his return to BN and UMNO. [22]

After Tajol's resignation, Najib Razak assumed responsibility as interim Perak state chief of UMNO and BN, until UMNO's party election on March that year, [21] which saw Zambry Abdul Kadir elected to the post. [23]

2009 Perak constitutional crisis

The Pakatan Rakyat government led by Nizar only lasts for 11 months until February 2009, when after two PKR MLA (Jamaluddin and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu) and one DAP MLA (Hee Yit Foong) disappears from public and subsequently their announcement to become an independent who supports BN, Nizar and the PR government were forced to resign by the Sultan of Perak as they could not command the majority of the Perak Assembly. A new BN government, led by Zambry Abdul Kadir as Menteri Besar, were sworn in on the same day Nizar resigned. This led to a series of court cases between Nizar and Zambry for the Perak government legitimacy, until the final verdict which saw Zambry's government's accepted under the law in February 2010.

This is the first time the government of the state changed in Peninsular Malaysia as a result of allegiance changing between MLAs; previously this only happened in East Malaysia, with the last time was on 1994 in Sabah.

Notes

  1. ↑ All the figures of votes and seats are a combined result of all the component parties in BN.

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References

  1. ↑ Webmaster, M. T. (4 February 2009). "If fresh state elections are held in Perak". Malaysia Today. Colourworks Design Limited. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "Perak MB post still undecided" . Malaysiakini. 10 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Andrew Ong (12 March 2008). "PAS' Nizar is new Perak MB" . MalaysiaKini. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  4. ↑ "Lim: DAP rejects Nizar as MB" . MalaysiaKini. 12 March 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "No DAP CEC mandate for PAS Menteri Besar in Perak". Lim Kit Siang Online Blog. 12 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "Apology to Perak Sultan and Regent - No offence intended". Lim Kit Siang Online Blog. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Royal audience with Perak Regent Dr. Nazrin Shah". Lim Kit Siang Online Blog. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Lim apologises, DAP reps to attend ceremony" . Malaysiakini. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "PKR threatens to pull out of Perak state admin" . Malaysiakini. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  10. ↑ Tsin, Soon Li (14 March 2008). "Deal stitched, all systems go for Perak" . Malaysiakini. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Bernama (17 March 2008). "Mohamad Nizar angkat sumpah jawatan Menteri Besar Perak". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). UTUSAN MELAYU (M) BERHAD. Archived from the original on 6 April 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Nizar finally sworn in". The Star. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  13. ↑ "PAS' Nizar sworn in as Perak MB" . Malaysiakini. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "Perak exco likely to follow 6-3-1 formula". The Star. 29 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  15. ↑ BAHAROM, RASLAN (30 March 2008). "10 Perak exco members sworn in without portfolios". The Star. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "Perak state exco sworn in today" . Malaysiakini. 29 March 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  17. ↑ LIAN, HAH FOONG (31 March 2008). "Perak names exco portfolios" . The Star. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  18. ↑ Ong, Andrew (31 March 2008). "DAP Perak rep U-turns hours after quitting" . Malaysiakini. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "Pembangkang tubuh Pakatan Rakyat". Malaysiakini (in Malay). 1 April 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "KRONOLOGI POLITIK PERAK DARI 8 MAC 2008". www.mstar.com.my (in Malay). Star Media Group Berhad. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  21. 1 2 ISHAK, ARIFFUDDIN (30 January 2009). "Tajol letak jawatan, Najib Pengerusi Umno Perak". www.mstar.com.my (in Malay). Star Media Group Berhad. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  22. ↑ Othman, Jimadie Shah (4 February 2009). "Sebab Adun Bota kembali ke Umno". Malaysiakini (in Malay). Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  23. ↑ ISHAK, ARIFFUDDIN (24 April 2009). "Umno: 8 Pengerusi Negeri muka baru, Najib ketuai Selangor". www.mstar.com.my (in Malay). Star Media Group Berhad. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
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