Kedah Pakatan Rakyat leadership will demand explanations from three state cabinet members from PKR and one DAP state assemblyperson over widespread allegations that they would be quitting the coalition.

The three PKR exco members are S Manikumar (Bukit Selambau assemblyperson), Tan Chow Kang (Sidam) and Lim Soo Nee (Kulim), while their DAP counterpart is Lee Guan Aik (Kota Darul Aman).

    

The three have been asked to be present at a ceramah to be held on May 22 - entitled "Kedah state assembly to be dissolved?" - at the PAS state head quarters in Kota Sarang Semut.

Kedah PAS secretary  Muhd Yusof Husin said the trio will be asked to go public on their position in Pakatan to quell doubts over their loyalty to the coalition.

“We admit that people are anxious, what with the current political scenario and situation,” he told Malaysiakini yesterday.

According to Yusof, Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak and Kedah PKR chairperson Ahmad Kassim will be speaking at the said function.

“The menteri besar himself will issue the state government’s position on the matter in the ceramah,” he said.

Ready for polls

Muhd Yusof said this when asked to comment on claims by former PKR MP for Kulim Bandar Baru Zulkifli Noordin that the fall of PAS-led Kedah government was imminent.

Pakatan elected representatives currently occupy 20 out of 36 state assembly seats. PAS has 16 representatives in the state legislature, PKR three and DAP one.

Fourteen seats are held by BN representatives, while two others are held by independents.

Muhd Yusof said Pakatan would not allow Kedah to go in the way of Perak, where the Pakatan state government was dethroned after defections by three state assemblypersons last February.

“We would rather lose during a snap election. We will accept whatever decision. We rather die by the sword than to be defeated because of defections,” he said.

He said that the state Pakatan leadership have prepared contingencies to deal with any eventualities.