Terengganu MB discounts early polls

PETALING JAYA: Terengganu Mentri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman (pix) has dismissed talks of early state elections and insisted he was staying put.
He added that there was nothing wrong with the state administration.
Ajil state assemblyman Ghazali Taib's had earlier said the majority of the state's assemblymen were unhappy with the political anxiety they were facing in the state.
Ahmad Razif speaking to reporters after chairing the state executive council meeting which was attended by all nine exco members, said he did not know the reason why Ghazali had said the state assemblymen were worried.
The Terengganu Umno Liaison Committee had recommended that action be taken against former MB, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said for his recent vociferous criticism of the state party leadership but they would leave it to the party disciplinary board to take action.
Its chairman, Ahmad Razif said this was to ensure every party member who flouted the rules was punished, regardless of status or party post.
BN holds the state with just a single-seat majority, and Ahmad Said's expulsion from Umno could lead to a 16-16 deadlock in the 32-seat state assembly, BN has 17 seats, PAS 14 and PKR, one.
Ahmad Said, the Kijal assemblyman had said he would accept any decision the Umno supreme council makes against him, but cautioned that his sacking could lead to a hung state assembly.
Ties between Ahmad Said and his successor have been strained after the Kemaman Umno division chief was forced to step down as mentri besar in May 2014.
Ahmad Said, Ghazali Taib and Bukit Besi assemblyman, Roslee Daud had earlier quit Umno, which resulted in the BN becoming a minority government in Terengganu for a brief 48 hours.
The crisis ended only after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak intervened and the three rebels subsequently rejoined Umno.
Last March, Ahmad Said sought to table a motion of no-confidence against Ahmad Razif in the state assembly but was refused by Terengganu Speaker Datuk Mohd Zubir Embong.
Political analyst, Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Fuad Mat Jali said because of the no confidence motion by Ahmad Said Umno Terengganu had no recourse but the refer him for disciplinary action.
"The former menteri besar had broken party rules and action had to be taken against him.
"The move by Umno Terengganu had caught many by surprise as their action could result in Ahmad Said been sacked and there being a hung state assembly," the lecturer in geo-politics at the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said.
Mohd Fuad added the future of the state assembly now hangs in the balance and it has to be a very careful juggling act to avoid any unnecessary complications.