Nizar Jamaluddin has been overthrown by the Sultan Azlan Shah, and Zambry Kadir has been given HRH’s consent to rise to power within 24 hours yesterday. The Perak’s Pakatan Rakyat has fallen, and Barisan Nasional (BN) has managed to grasp the state administration once again after the general election in March 2008.

But should we blame the Sultan entirely? HRH has exercised His right under Article XVI (6) of the State Constitution which states that if the Menteri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, then, unless at his request His Royal Highness dissolves the Legislative Assembly, he shall tender the resignation of the Executive Council.

Even though I do believe the power to choose a leader to represent the people in the disputed constituencies should be returned to the electorates of Behrang, Changkat Jering, and Jelapang respectively, I do not think the Sultan should be blamed for making His decision to deprive Nizar Jamaluddin and his state executive councillor of their rights to govern the state.

The development in Perak shows how meticulous the defection and takeover has been planned. After the palace issued a statement rejecting the state assembly’s dissolution, a notice went up at the state secretariat building requesting Pakatan Rakyat’s exco members and their aides to clean up their office, take their personal stuff away and hand over the keys, and surrender their official cars.

They were also reminded to leave behind all official files.

Did we hear this when Pakatan Rakyat won the majority in state assemblies in Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Penang in the last general election?

As a matter of fact, the newly elected state representatives were not even allowed to enter the state administrative buildings, and the outgoing Menteri Besars, and their respective excos were seen entering the premises at their will, probably it was said they were there to destroy some documents which they believed these documents would be used either against them if these documents were vile in nature, or their works of art for many years would be used by Pakatan Rakyat’s leaders to develop the state without much hassle to think of, if these documents were good in nature, and if there was any of those documents.

The newly elected state representatives of Pakatan Rakyat were only allowed to enter the state administrative buildings after their swearing-in ceremonies, with all offices were almost abandoned, and some important documents missing.

However, there is an issue that makes me happy, personally. I do not want to act selfish, but in Kelantan, the people sentiment is bigger than everything else including monetary promises. With this development, I am quite certain Kelantanese would detest the BN even more. Thus, I do not see the BN would be able to recapture the state even in the next general election.

And to be honest, none of the BN leaders in Kelantan would be daring enough to state their support for this well-planned coup d’état in Perak. None! If there is any, they would know their fate in the next general election due to the people sentiment if they were to be chosen as candidates.

Thus in my opinion, in the battle of wits for control of Perak, the BN has won hands down but in the court of public opinion, it has probably lost because the general sentiment is for holding a fresh election to let the people decide the outcome, and certainly in the eyes of people in Kelantan, it is going to be even difficult for the BN to capture the state.