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Pakatan plans mammoth gathering in Ipoh to rally support

IPOH, Feb 4 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is planning a mammoth public gathering in front of the Perak mentri besar’s residence tomorrow in what is surely the last throw of the dice to head off the formation of a new state government by Barisan Nasional (BN).

A new BN government is looking all but certain now after the defections of four assemblymen from the PR alliance in Perak today.

“We are trying to mobilise a crowd of over 50,000 people for tomorrow night.

“This will be the start of the public’s support for Pakatan Rakyat,” read a text message sent by an aide to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tonight.

The plans for a mammoth rally come after a dramatic day where Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin tried to obtain consent from the Peral Sultan to dissolve the state assembly.

He failed to get an immediate answer from Sultan Azlan Shah.

But any plans to convince the state ruler with a public rally may well be moot if he consents to BN forming a state government tomorrow morning.

Deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Perak BN chief, is expected to be granted an audience by Sultan Azlan Shah tomorrow morning.

During the meeting, Najib will make the case for BN to form a new government to end the political uncertainties in the state.

Najib made the claim for the power grab today after announcing the state BN coalition now had 28 members of the state legislature, the same as PR, but it also had the backing of three independents whom are likely to join one of the parties of the ruling coalition soon.

If the Sultan does not give an immediate answer tomorrow, it will open the door for PR to use a public rally to try to convince the ruler to dissolve the assembly.

PR leaders feel that fresh elections will be their best bet for survival as they are confident of getting a convincing mandate from voters.

The Malaysian Insider
04/02/09

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