RPK - The Reasons behind Pakatan Rakyat Government's Downfall in Perak

Reasons behind Pakatan Rakyat Government's Downfall in Perak

Nazrin's succession to the Perak throne depends on the goodwill of the federal government. But only if the State Government is a Barisan Nasional government will there be this goodwill. If Pakatan Rakyat remains the State Government, then expect Nazrin to pay the price when his time comes to succeed his father.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin

All of us know what happened in Perak. However what many do not know is why it happened.

 

If you can remember, it took one week for the Perak and Selangor State Governments to be sworn in after the March 2008 General Election. The Sultans of these two states wanted to first 'discuss the matter' with members of the Pakatan Rakyat State Assembly. The Sultans then set certain terms and conditions before agreeing to swear in the new Pakatan Rakyat State Governments.

This one-week gap allowed the old Barisan Nasional State Governments time to remove and destroy quite a lot of very damaging evidence of their wrongdoings.

This delay also allowed Barisan Nasional to negotiate the possibility of PAS teaming up with Umno to form the State Governments in Perak and Selangor. Umno even agreed that PAS would become the State Ministers. And, to add icing on the cake, Umno even paved the way for PAS to implement Islamic laws in these two states.

But PAS remained loyal to their two other Pakatan Rakyat partners, PKR and DAP, and they declined Umno's offer. Finally, the two Sultans had no choice but to swear in the Pakatan Rakyat State Governments in Perak and Selangor. But this did not stop the state royalties from plotting to bring down the governments behind their backs.

The Sultan of Selangor was quite prepared to consider the whole matter a fait accompli. After all, Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor had a very clear majority, making it difficult to buy off so many in the State Assembly. But Perak was another matter altogether because Pakatan Rakyat's majority here was much thinner.

As soon as the new State Government was put in place, the Sultan of Perak began asking for this, that and the other. The new State Government would have been tolerant of some of the demands of the Perak Palace just to maintain a good relationship with the royalties but what the Sultan and his family wanted was just too excessive. That was when the Pakatan Rakyat state government had no choice but to reject the Sultan's overbearing demands.

And this, of course, upset the Sultan. So when Pakatan Rakyat lost its majority in the Perak State Assembly, there was no persuasion required to get the Sultan to  agree to swear in a new Barisan Nasional State Government.

Initially the Sultan was unsure if he should kick out the present State Government in favour of one ruled by Barisan Nasional. When the Pakatan Rakyat State Minister, Nizar Jamaluddin, went before the Sultan requesting that the State Assembly be dissolved to make way for fresh state elections, the titular head said he would think about it first. That was immediately followed by Najib's visit where he successfully persuaded the Sultan to reject any request to dissolve the State Assembly thus paving the way for a new Barisan Nasional state government to be sworn in.

Najib's 'persuasion' was simple.

Nazrin, the Sultan's son, should not be the Raja Muda of Perak, which means he should not be in line to become heir to his father's throne. In the event of the Sultan's death, the federal government will, in other words, not support Nazrin as the next in line. For this look at what happened to Negeri Sembilan: Despite the Yamtuan appointing his son to be the regent, he failed to become his heir.

So Nazrin's succession to the Perak throne ultimately depends on the goodwill of the federal government. But only if it is a Barisan Nasional government will this goodwill be there. If Pakatan Rakyat remains in power, then expect Nazrin to pay the price when the time comes to succeed his father.

Furthermore, the Sultan and his family had asked for a lot of things from the Pakatan Rakyat State Government; all of which were rejected. As a counter overture, Umno ensured the royal family would get anything they wanted only the Sultan sanctioned a takeover by the Barisan Nasional as the new State Government.

And with that Pakatan Rakyat's fate was abjectly sealed. The Sultan swore in Barisan Nasional as the new State Government and Pakatan Rakyat was jettisoned to the opposition aisle. 

So here's the real question: What did the royal family want that Pakatan Rakyat rejected and which Barisan Nasional acquiesced to? Perhaps this might shed light on how this family became one of the richest of state royalties in the country in a short space of a few months and why Pakatan Rakyat chose to reject.

Reason #1: Lot 183578

Umno placed on the silver platter a piece of state land known as 'Lot 183578' for the Sultan. About 600 acres in size and located in Tanjong Tualang in the district of Kinta, this parcel of land is parked under the name of the Sultan's proxy, a certain Mohamed Khaair Johari Hj Osman.

Reason #2: 1,000-acre timber concession

UMNO handed over to the Sultan a vast 1,000-acre timber concession along the 11km Gerik-Kupang Highway in Ulu Kenderong, Gerik, Hulu Perak. This concession was supposed to be given to the Universiti Utara Malaysia. For reasons we now know, it was then revoked and given to Pusat Kreatif Kanak-Kanak whose Chairman is a certain Raja Datuk Seri Ashman Shah ibni Sultan Azlan Shah.

Reason #3: Compartments 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 49

Umno gifted the Sultan seven lots of timber concessions at compartments 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 49 in the Kenderong Forest Reserve in Hulu Perak. These lots, which amount to about 600 acres, are now parked under two proxy companies belonging to the Sultan, namely, Syarikat Zotonjaya Sdn Bhd and Kibaran Wang Sdn Bhd.

Reason #4: 10,782 hectares to the Sultan's son-in-law

Umno is scheduled to grant approval to a reforestation proposal that involves some 10,781 hectares of which 5,781 hectares is at the south-side Gunung Besout Forest Reserve in and 5,000 hectares at Pondok Tanjung in the Larut Matang district. The company that will freely get this huge project is Permatang Utama Sdn Bhd (Co. Reg # 513583-D) whose Executive Chairman is Datuk Seri Ismail Farouk Abdullah, the son-in-law of none other than the Sultan himself.

 

Reason #5: Casuarina Hotel sold for a song

Furthermore the same Datuk Seri Ismail Farouk Abdullah was handed the state-owned Casuarina Hotel in Ipoh for a song. Priced at a paltry sum of RM43 million, this lucrative prime land property is easily worth magnitudes more on the open market. The land alone would have been worthed far more.

It is not that the Perak royalty is a destitute lot. Far from it (if you look at the cars they indulge in). A more likely reason is GREED.

The Sultan's daughter, Raja Datuk Seri Eleena Azlan Shah happens to be one of the Directors of GAMUDA BERHAD. She is also the country's 25th richest person with assets worth over RM773 million, making her the second richest woman nationwide after Puan Sri Chong Chook Yew, who, with more than RM1 billion in assets, is positioned at number 18.

Gamuda Berhad has been awarded more than RM10 billion worth of contracts. It operates and maintains 230 kilometres of highways including a major township. With the handouts given by the federal government through cronyism, they are also a property developer with four township projects featuring no less than 30,000 houses.

So there you have it.

All of you in Perak, particularly the Malays, have long assumed that the opposition did not show the Sultan of Perak the respect due him. What all of you hadn't known is that he does not deserve yours or anyone's respect in this country. Many up till now were also unaware why the he so wanted Pakatan Rakyat kicked out of his beloved state.

Well we hope they do now.