A Particle of Boredom

Nizar may have lost the legal battle but had won the hearts of people

The Court of Appeal today returned a unanimous decision that Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Zambry Abd Kadir is the rightful Perak menteri besar, ruling that his Pakatan Rakyat rival Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddinn had ceased to command the majority in the Perak state assembly. The judges also ruled that the Sultan was right in appointing Zambry the MB and that there was no need for a vote of no confidence in the House against Nizar. The three-member Bench comprising Justices Md Raus Shariff, Zainun Ali and Ahmad Maarop delivered judgment after hearing submissions from both parties yesterday.

However, the Court of Appeal decision is not expected to bring an end to the crisis in Perak as the parties can still appeal to the Federal Court. This afternoon, security at the Court of Appeal was tight with police taking extra precautions in allowing people into the courtroom. Nizar’s counsel Sulaiman Abdullah said he would be filing an appeal. Md Raus said he had attempted to write the judgement last night but failed. He assured Suleiman they would have one within a week.