UPDATED
By Neville SpykermanAPRIL 14 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has ordered all Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen in Terengganu to attend tomorrow’s state legislative sitting, in a move to quell a reported move to oust the mentri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.
He also denied that death threats sent via text messages to a number of BN lawmakers came from the mentri besar.
“They received SMSes but they did not come from the mentri besar’s office. There is no truth to it. I want them to attend the assembly,” Najib told reporters today.
Earlier today, the end appeared near for Ahmad after ten BN state lawmakers boycotted the state assembly today in a bid to force his resignation.
But The Malaysian Insider understands Ahmad’s position as BN’s mentri besar still appears untenable amid talk that his own party men were planning to table a no-confidence vote against him.
The seeds of this revolt were planted when Ahmad was put in place as BN’s mentri besar soon after last year’s general elections in place of the incumbent Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.
Idris was not reappointed due to friction with the Terengganu palace.
However, The Malaysian Insider understands that the palace will have no objections to Ahmad’s removal as MB if he is unable to hold the government together.
Deputy Umno president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today he would meet the state assemblymen as well as Ahmad in an attempt to bring an end to the political crisis.
In Kuala Terengganu, state backbenchers club chairman Datuk Rosol Wahid told reporters the ten lawmakers did not attend the assembly because they were afraid following the death threat text messages.
“This is not a boycott but we are very afraid. If the authorities can give us an assurance on our safety and provide us with security, we will return to the assembly immediately,” he said.
The assemblymen claimed the text messages were sent by a senior government official associated with Ahmad.
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