Perak BN made a fatal mistake in the wake of the controversial takeover of the state government by failing to call a state assembly meeting for a vote of confidence in its nominee, Zambry Abdul Kadir, as menteri besar.

Umno veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah told Malaysiakini that while Perak Sultan Azlan Shah has the constitutional power to name Zambry as the new MB, the final arbiter is still the state assembly.

“Whoever claims he is the menteri besar, he is not MB until he is voted in by the majority in the assembly,” Razaleigh told Malaysiakini in a 60-minute interview last week.

“Of course, the sultan appoints him (Zambry), but the minute someone else is voted in by the majority of the (assembly) members, then he becomes the rightful leader of the assembly and the executive of the state under the constitution, and nobody can remove him unless the assembly removes him or he himself resigns.”