Tun Mahathir delivers a blow on the government!Sultan has no power to remove MB!!!!!

Tun Mahathir has send shockwaves in Najib's administration by saying Sultan which in this case Sultan of Perak has NO POWER as declared in the federal constitution to remove Menteri Besar or head of state in this case Datuk Seri Nizar. He stated further that only the elected head of state can be removed by a vote of no confidence in the state assembly.

However,Well in this case Mahathir was quick to add that the situation in Perak was different.

While he did not explain how it was different, the former premier could be alluding to the on-going court case to determine the legitimate menteri besar in Perak.

The state has been undergoing a political turmoil ever since the Perak sultan urged the Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to resign in February following the coalition's deficit in numbers in the assembly as a result of three defections.

The sultan had then appointed Barisan Nasional's Zambry Abd Kadir as the new menteri besar - a move which resulted in a political and administrative chaos in the state.

A state assembly sitting is to take place tomorrow where Zambry is expected to consolidate his position as the menteri besar.

However Pakatan-elected representatives are also equally adamant in not giving up power.

Constitution is 'clear' on the matter

Mahathir also refused to comment on his thoughts if Zambry's appointment was legitimate.

"I said the case of Perak crisis is something else, something that is being decided by the court... [but] under the constitution and as far as I know, the federal constitution states very clearly that a monarch cannot remove a prime minister.

"He can refuse to appoint a prime minister, but once appointed you cannot remove him until there's a vote of no confidence made against him," he said after delivering a keynote address on the separations of powers in Putrajaya today.

When asked again if this principle applied in the case of Perak, he said: "I should think that it applies to the state but if Perak is different, then I stand corrected."

Nizar has filed a suit against Zambry on the question of legitimacy and the matter is being heard at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.