The Malaysian Insider

By Clara Chooi

IPOH, Feb 10 — The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has finally agreed to give up its fight to remove Barisan Nasional (BN) Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir or call for snap polls after the Federal Court ruling showed the futility of their struggle.

Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said last night the PR leadership had decided it was time to move on and work towards becoming a strong opposition in the state government.

“In the past we have always been talking about ‘Bubar DUN, Bubar DUN’ (dissolve the assembly). However, since Zambry has no intention to do this, we have to be a force to determine our own journey as state assemblymen,” he told a late night press conference here.

“For the good of Perakians, we have decided to become a strong opposition in the state assembly and lend our services to the Barisan Nasional government in implementing policies that are good for the people.

“We will extend our open hearts and hands to all good policies introduced by the government,” Nizar added.

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — The Federal Court today may have denied Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin his Perak mentri besar’s post but its just-released collective written judgment is apparently riddled with contradictions, a retired judge said.

Nizar, 53, who had previously been declared the rightful mentri besar, lost the job when a three-man panel of Court of Appeal judges reversed the High Court’s decision last May 22.

VIENNA, Feb 9 — Malaysia has fired its ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog for voting against a resolution rebuking Iran and he will be replaced as rotating head of the agency’s governing body later this week, officials said.

The rare removal of a senior serving diplomat on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board of governors underlined the volatile politics and high stakes in policymaking involving Iran’s disputed nuclear programme.

Mohd Arshad Manzoor Hussain, a 35-year diplomatic veteran, told Reuters he had been sacked by his government after being recalled to Kuala Lumpur following the Nov 27 vote and several weeks of consultations.

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — The Barisan Nasional has won the legal battle to keep Perak but the political battle for the hearts and minds of the people has just started — and it remains an uphill battle for BN.

“The vast majority of the people reject this court appointed Mentri Besar,” said Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran, echoing the feelings of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters across the country.

He told The Malaysian Insider that PR members are shocked and disappointed with the outcome.

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 9 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to accept today’s Federal Court ruling that upheld his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition as the legitimate Perak government.

Najib (picture) said the verdict which found in favour of Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir was decided by the country’s top court and that its decision is legally supreme.

“Though those [who] lost may have a differing view of the judgment, we have to accept the decision of the country’s highest court,” he told a press conference here.