Perak - No dissolution, new gov't to be sworn in (malaysiakini.com)

LIVE REPORTS- details please refer to www.malaysiakini.com/en

10.20pm: Crowds growing. Police are not preventing people from entering the MB's residence. The hall where the ceremah is held is totally packed. Many willingly stand outside to listen to the speeches from Pakatan leaders. Crowds estimated at 4,000 now. FRU troops now seen patrolling outside the MB's residence.

10pm: Ceremah is ongoing in the MB's residence. About 3,000 people are said to be in attendance listening attentively on the sprawling grounds of the official residence. Crowds appear orderly. Situation calm and peaceful. Only about 50 policemen present. Pakatan bigwigs yet to take to the stage.

9.30pm: Mohd Nizar says he still has hopes of getting an audience from the sultan. But he needs nothing short of a miracle as the window to meet the sultan is closing. BN's 28 state reps and three independents will be sworn in by the sultan tomorrow.

Mohd Nizar also reveals that he had requested Anwar Ibrahim to file an emergency motion on the Perak political crisis during the next sitting of Parliament.

"This is now a national issue. Everybody wants to know about it so let it be discussed," he says.

Mohd Nizar reiterates that Barisan was grabbing power in the state
without following through the proper process.

"When the assembly sits in April, they can have a vote of
no-confidence. Then there would be a smooth transition," he says.


8.45pm: Five FRU police trucks arrive creating some tension among those gathered outside the MB's residence. The crowd shouted at the riot police, while PAS security team closes the gate to the MB's residence. However, the police made no attempt to enter the residence.

7.50pm: About 1,000 Pakatan supporters are gathering outside MB's official residence. More are streaming in, creating a traffic jam in the area.

Despite warnings of tough action, police presence is minimal apart from traffic cops helping to ease congestion. The MB's residence has been sealed off by the PAS security team, Unit Amal. With the state government headquarters taken over by police this afternoon, there is fear that Mohd Nizar could be evicted from his official residence.

Many in the crowd are spotted holding umbrellas as there is a light drizzle. Banners at the gathering called for the dissolution of the state assembly as well as the return of power to the people. Pakatan top guns, including Anwar Ibrahim, are due to speak later tonight.

6.45pm: Pakatan supporters have been told to gather at the Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar's official residence after gates to the Ipoh Stadium were found to be locked.

6.15pm: PM Abdullah was seen leaving Istana Kinta. According to the latest information, the new BN-led state government is expected to be sworn in by Sultan Azlan Shah tomorrow in Iskandariah.

On arrival in Kuala Lumpur in Subang airport, Abdullah announced that Umno's Zambry Abd Kadir (left), 47, who is Pangkor state assemblyperson. A former lecturer of International Islamic University, Zambry has a Phd in politics.

5.50pm: PM Abdullah arrives at Istana Kinta in Ipoh. He joins Najib and all 28 BN state representatives as well as the three Independents who are already inside the palace. They will be sworn in by Sultan Azlan Shah to take over the state government.

4.58pm: A new BN government is expected to be sworn in today. Bernama reported that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the state BN representatives have arrived at Istana Kinta. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is on an official visit to the state, is also expected to be present at the palace any time now.

4.53pm: The police have taken over the state secretariat building. All Pakatan officials in the complex are told to pack up and leave by 5pm.

4.50pm: Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim said that they want to meet the sultan to convince him to dissolve the assembly.

4.45pm: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that the Pakatan leadership fully backed Mohd Nizar's government. He added that the menteri besar will not resign unless a special state assembly session was called or fresh elections held.

4.40pm: Mohd Nizar tells the press conference that he would not resign from his post as the menteri besar. He urged the people to back his Pakatan government.
He also said that the assembly speaker had filed a suit on the validity of the resignation letters submitted by three former Pakatan state representatives and said that it was only wise to wait for the court to decide on the matter.
"The BN's majority may not be a valid one," he said.

4.15pm A source inside the Pakatan meeting at the MB's residence say that the atmosphere inside is sombre. Anwar is chairing the meeting, without everyone is being allowed to have a say.

4.14pm Unconfirmed reports state that former DAP state assemblyperson Hee Yit Foong's house in Ipoh and her service centre in Jelapang have been pelted with stones by people angry with her defection.

4.10pm Roads leading to the state secretariat have been blocked by the police to stop people from gathering there.

4.05pm: State secretary Abdul Rahman Hashim instructs Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar and all exco members to vacate their offices at the state secretariat by 5pm today. They have been reminded not to take any official documents with them. They were also told to hand in their official car keys as well as the keys to their offices

3.25pm: It learnt that Mohd Nizar will announce his refusal to resign as requested by the sultan.

3.20pm All top Pakatan leaders are in a meeting at Mohd Nizar's official residence to chart their next course of action. A press conference is expected to be held soon. Notable absentees are Kedah MB Azizan Razak and Kelantan MB Niz Aziz Nik Mat.
About 30 supporters have gathered outside the residence. A big team of some 50 journalists are also waiting there.

3pm: The office of the Sultan of Perak, in a statement, said that after meeting all the 28 BN assemblypersons and the three independents, the sultan was convinced that Mohd Nizar had ceased to command the confidence of the majority of the state assembly members."If YAB Datuk Seri Ir. Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin does not resign his post as Perak menteri besar together with the members of the state executive council, the posts of menteri besar and state executive councillors are considered vacant," the statement said.

2.40pm: The five Indian state representatives in Perak - A Sivasubramaniam (DAP-Buntong), V Sivakumar (DAP-Tronoh), Keshvinder Singh (DAP-Malim Nawar), S Kesavan (PKR-Hutan Melintang) and A Sivanesan (DAP-Sungkai) - held a press conference earlier today that they would remain loyal to Pakatan Rakyat.Speaker Sivakumar said that various approaches were made to entice them to cross over to BN."We were offered money and high posts in party (MIC) and government but we rejected the advances of these people," he said.

2.27pm: Bernama reports that the Sultan of Perak has rejected the request by Mohd Nizar for the dissolution of the state assembly. The report also said that the sultan has asked Mohd Nizar to step down to pave the way for a power transfer.

2.14pm: Tonight's 100,000 people gathering in support of the Pakatan government has been shifted to Stadium Ipoh from the menteri besar's official residence.

The police have issued warnings against those who take part in "illegal gatherings" in Ipoh.
2pm: Anwar arrives at Mohd Nizar's house. He is expected to hold a press conference together the menteri besar and Penang CM Lim Guan Eng at 3pm. PKR vice-president Azmin Ali is also there.

1.32pm: A PKR source says that the sultan had asked Mohd Nizar to step down as menteri besar to allow a smooth transistion of power at their brief meeting today but the latter had refused to do so.1.30pm: Najib just ended his Perak Umno meeting and left the party's state headquarters without calling a press conference. It is learnt there was a discussion on who to be appointed as new menteri besar.

1.25pm: Najib is still at the Umno meeting. However, it is learnt that he will not be holding a press conference after the meeting.

1.05pm: Perak MB Mohd Nizar leaves the palace. He waved and smiled at reporters. He just said: "Good signs. Alhamdulliah." His meeting with the sultan lasted 15 minutes. He had entered the palace at 12.50pm.
Mohd Nizar will be holding a press conference along with Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP leader Lim Guan Eng at 3pm.

12.50pm: Najib is presently chairing an Umno meeting in Ipoh where the choice of the new menteri besar is being discussed. He is expected to call for a press conference within the next hour.

12.40pm: There is an indication that Sultan Azlan Shah will allow Barisan Nasional to form a state government with the participation of three independents.