The Perak Pakatan Rakyat government is ready to swing into action after waiting for five days to hear from its two missing state exco members.
Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin today said that his government would be lodging a 'missing person' police report after consulting with the families of the two PKR state representatives.
Mohammad Nizar also urged the duo - Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mat Radzi and Changkat Jering state representative Osman Jailu - to come forward even if they have decided to join the Barisan Nasional.
In Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stopped short of confirming that the duo are on their way to the BN.
Speaking to reporters this morning, the BN chairperson however said that several Pakatan elected representatives in Perak would be jumping ship to join BN soon.
Abdullah nevertheless declined to reveal more information.
Earlier today, Mohammad Nizar held a meeting with all state Pakatan representatives and leaders to discuss the continued absence of the two.
The meeting was at Mohammad Nizar's official residence in Ipoh was chaired by the menteri besar.
Also present was ex-Umno Bota assemblyperson Nasarudin Hashim who crossed over to PKR last week.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mohammad Nizar confirmed that the two state excos have been incommunicado for the past five days and have been out of contact with family members and state officials.
Seen in Pekan?
The MB also said that neither state official nor family members were able to contact the two men. They have not been seen in public since last Monday, the day after Nasaruddin defected to PKR.
Mohamad Nizar also urged the two state excos to come out and state publicly if they were going to join the BN.
However he added the state government would not be jeopardised even if there was a crossover involving the two.
"Only God knows if there is going to be a crossover involving the two. I have not heard anything. If they want to leave the government, they must write and inform officially," he said.
Text messages are also flying about mentioning that the two were spotted in Pekan, in the company of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. However this could not be confirmed.
When asked to comment on the matter, premier Abdullah said that an official announcement would be made once all the necessary procedures are completed.
"We will make the official announcement when all things are in place," he added.
Jamaluddin, 52, is the Perak entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairperson while Osman, 57, heads the state tourism and NGO committee.
They were charged in a Sessions Court on Aug 25 last year with allegedly receiving bribes over the application for a RM180 million housing project in Sri Iskandar in Perak Tengah. Their case comes up for hearing on Feb 10.
Possible snap election in Perak
It is also learnt that the state Pakatan Rakyat government would consider releasing undated letters of resignations signed by the two.
These letters were signed by all Pakatan state representatives just after the March 8, 2008 general election and are being kept by the menteri besar.
The release of such letters - expected to be done in the coming days - could mean that the planned defection of the duo, if it happens, would not add the number of seats for BN in the state assembly.
And if the letters are released, it is expected that by-elections for both the state seats could be held. Election laws also prohibit resigned elected representatives from contesting for the seats.
With the defection of Nasarudin, the Pakatan Rakyat state government has increased its majority from two to three.
However, should the two PKR exco defect to BN, Pakatan will have a slim one-seat majority of 30 to 29.
It is learnt that BN is seeking at least one more defection from Pakatan to enable BN to form the state government.
At present, Pakatan has 32 seats in Perak with DAP (18), PKR (8) and PAS (6), while BN has 27 with Umno (26) and MCA (1).
Menteri Besar Mohamad Nizar may however exercise his option of calling a snap election in Perak.
But the Perak sultan will be called to play a pivotal role on whether to agree with Mohmad Nizar in dissolving the state assembly or hand over the state government to the one which commands the majority, which in this case could be BN.
Meanwhile, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim is also expected to hold a meeting with all Perak PKR state representatives and leaders in Permatang Pauh at 3pm today - malaysiakini.com
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