MELAKA: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali is unfazed by yet another attempt to oust him.

       Sulaiman said his administration will continue as normal despite speculation of a move to topple his government.

       “My focus is on assisting those impacted by Covid-19, and I will execute my task diligently,” he said yesterday.

       Sulaiman said it was not the right time for such power grabs when there are crucial issues that need to be attended to, such as fixing the economy and state development.

       “The people’s welfare must also be priority, and I will do my best to serve everyone without being distracted by unsavoury politics,” he said.

       Last Friday, a purported attempt to oust Sulaiman as the Chief Minister fizzled out following intense internal conflict within a political party, causing the move to fail.

       Four DAP assemblymen are said to have pulled their support from the group to force Sulaiman out.

       It is believed to be the second bid by the leaders in the state to depose him.

       The plan, however, did not materialise due to differences within Melaka DAP, with the four refusing to work with those who did not share the same opinions with them in the previous Pakatan Harapan-led administration.

       The first attempt was in early August. It did not materialise as there was a change at the Federal level when Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as the ninth Prime Minister on Aug 21.

       In Port Dickson, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied talk that he had sought an audience with Melaka Governor Tun Mohd Ali Rustam for Pakatan Harapan to form the state government.

       The PKR president said reports claiming that he was planning to call on the governor were false.

       “This is not true. There have been none from me,” he said when met at Dataran Kemang near here.

       Asked about talk that the Melaka government was on the verge of collapse, Anwar said he had no knowledge of it.

       “That you must ask Melaka. People inform me but there is nothing concrete. I just listen,” he said.On reports that he met Melaka Pakatan on the matter, Anwar said he had been having regular meetings with state liaison committees.

       “I hold talks with all Pakatan councils in the states, with the latest being Selangor, followed by Perak, Penang, Negri Sembilan, Sabah and Melaka,” he said.

       A Melaka Perikatan Nasional insider told The Star that two senior Pakatan leaders were spotted at Mohd Ali’s residence in Bukit Katil here, allegedly with statutory declarations of 15 assemblymen in a bid to form a new state government comprising assemblymen from Umno, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara, PKR, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and one independent.

       However, it is learnt that they were not able to meet Mohd Ali.

       The insider also claimed that four Umno assemblymen were ready to defect and form a unity government with the current opposition.Melaka has 28 state constituencies, with Perikatan currently having the support of 17 assemblymen.

       On a separate matter, Anwar said it had yet to be decided which logo Pakatan would use in the general election, with rumours that DAP and Amanah prefer to use the Pakatan logo, while PKR wants to use its own.

       “We will talk to the states and divisions on this,” he said, adding that the placement of candidates for the upcoming election was also another unresolved issue.

       “We have not finalised who will be contesting where, and this includes the president too,” he said.