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KUALA LUMPUR (AP) - Malaysia's three-party opposition alliance signed an accord on Friday to stop squabbling over the leadership of a state government, averting a split in their newfound friendship.
The three parties signed and submitted a letter to the titular ruler of Perak state just after midnight on Thursday, confirming that a lawmaker from the Islamic party in the coalition will become the chief minister. The disagreement over the leadership - played out in public since Wednesday - prompted predictions that the opposition alliance may not be able to stick together for long despite its spectacular victory in Saturday's general elections, which posed the first credible challenge to the ruling National Front coalition since the country's independence in 1957. Besides winning Perak, the alliance also won four other states - unprecedented success in a country where the National Front has never conceded more than two of Malaysia's 13 states. The alliance also boosted its strength in the 222-member Parliament from 19 to 82, reducing the Front's two-thirds majority to a mere 140. The letter to end the Perak crisis was signed by all 31 lawmakers of the three parties who won seats in the 59-member state assembly, said Dzulkifly Ibrahim of the People's Justice Party. 'Everything is settled ... we are ready now,' he told The Associated Press. Officials of the other two parties also confirmed a letter had been signed and delivered. It is not clear when the new chief minister will be sworn in. The People's Justice Party, or PKR, contributed seven seats to the alliance's 31 in Perak. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic party, an Islamic fundamentalist party made up of ethnic Malays, won six while the lion's share of 18 went to the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party. The trouble started when Perak ruler Sultan Azlan Shah chose Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin of PAS as chief minister, because the Constitution says the post should be held by a Malay Muslim. The DAP immediately protested because it had the highest number of seats, and argued that the sultan can use his powers to overrule the Constitution. A compromise was reached when the DAP and PAS agreed that Mohammad Nizar would remain the chief minister but his 10-member executive council, or Cabinet, would have eight DAP members. This made PKR unhappy, which said if a Malay has to be the chief minister it should be a PKR member because it won more seats than PAS. Also, it objected to getting only one Cabinet post. An exasperated sultan canceled the swearing-in ceremony for Mr Mohammad Nizar at the last minute on Thursday and told the parties to settle their differences and give him a written statement. Mr Dzulkifly said there is no dispute now over the chief ministership, and the make up of the Cabinet would be decided later. DAP is deeply suspicious of PAS, which once advocated setting up an Islamic state before toning down its religious rhetoric. The parties were brought together by the PKR leader, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The results of Saturday's elections have suggested Malaysia could be getting ready to abandon an era of race-based politics practiced by the National Front, a coalition of 14 parties representing the country's various races. The coalition is dominated by the United Malays National Organisation, which says it speaks for the majority Malays. It also has parties representing minority Chinese and Indians. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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