DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook has rejected claims that the party is responsible for the ongoing political crisis in Negeri Sembilan, saying DAP is no longer part of the state government.
According to Sinar Harian, Loke said it was unfair to continue blaming the party for the turmoil.
“What is happening today is certainly not caused by us. During the Negeri Sembilan state election campaign, they tried to link DAP to the crisis, claiming that we were responsible for what was happening in the state.
“Today, we are already outside the government. So they can no longer blame us or use DAP as an excuse,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the 24th Negeri Sembilan DAP annual convention on Sunday.
Loke says crisis has no clear end in sight
The Seremban MP said the crisis appeared to have no end in sight, involving several factors, including the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan.
He said the situation was further complicated by Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim’s refusal to submit a new list of state executive councillors, as instructed by the ruler, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
“There is actually no reason why they (Barisan Nasional) cannot continue governing as usual, because Tuanku Muhriz has asked the menteri besar to submit the names of the new state executive councillors.
“So there is actually no problem. They can choose other people, but the next move is up to them,” he said.
Loke said it was unusual for a state government to have a menteri besar without a team of executive councillors.
He added that the situation would disrupt the smooth running of the state administration, as many decisions and administrative matters required approval from the State Executive Council.
DAP denies involvement in moves against menteri besar
Loke said any political manoeuvring by Barisan Nasional was up to the party, which holds a majority in the state legislative assembly.
However, he denied that DAP had been involved in any effort to remove Ismail through a vote of no confidence.
“But we have never been involved in any effort of that kind, such as a vote of no confidence against the menteri besar. As I have said, we are focused on our work, and most importantly, I have reminded our elected representatives to stay focused on their duties,” he said.
Asked whether the crisis could continue for a longer period, Loke said he was unsure but that DAP was prepared for any eventuality.
