PERAK GOVERMENT COLLAPSES - TODAYS CRONOLOGY

1.28pm: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has blasted the Umno leadership for 'stooping low' in accepting two former PKR assemblypersons who have been charged with corruption.

"With the recent defection of the two, it would further hurt Umno's image which is already tainted now. Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) as Umno president should rethink before accepting people like this,"

3.50pm: Perak Menteri Besar Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin enters Istana Kinta to meet with Sultan Azlan Shah

4pm: DPM Najib Abdul Razak is expected to begin his press conference in Putrajaya soon.

4.25pm Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, Osman Jailu and Hee Yit Foong are present at the DPM's office. It is believed that Najib will announce their entry into BN at his press conference.

4.28pm: It is learnt that Bota representative Nasarudin Hashim is at the DPM's office, waiting to be introduced to the media by Najib.

slim majority in perak update 040209With Nasarudin's reversal of his defection, BN and its independent allies now have 31 seats against Pakatan Rakyat's 28.

5.05pm: Mohd Nizar is still at Istana Kinta.

5.08pm: 'PERAK GOVERNMENT FALLS'. Najib tells a press conference that Barisan Nasional has the support of the four former Pakatan Perak assemblypersons - three will be "BN-friendly" Independents, while Nasarudin will rejoin Umno.

Najib will meet the Perak Sultan as soon as possible. He says it is up to the sultan to decide on Nizar's request for dissolution of the assembly.

"All three state representatives - Jamaluddin, Osman and Hee - have submitted resignation letters to their former parties and have informed the sultan of their resignation.

"They have also given BN the mandate to select a new menteri besar for Perak."

Nasarudin denies the claim that he has been abducted.

Najib adds that under Article 16(6) of the Perak constitution, if the menteri besar loses the confidence of the assembly members, he is required to resign, together with all the exco members under him.

However the final decision now hinges on the Sultan of Perak - if he accedes to a Pakatan request for dissolution or allows BN to form the new government.

5.35pm: Mohd Nizar leaves the palace after meeting Sultan Azlan Shah. He tells reporters that he has informed the sultan of his request to dissolve the state assembly.

"It is now up to Tuanku (his highness)," he adds with a smile. The meeting lasted almost two hours.

5.50pm: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim accuses BN of trying to form government in Perak 'by hook or by crook'.

"We are pushing for a dissolution of the state assembly and fresh elections in the state. We must go back to the people and get a fresh mandate," he tells AFP.

"BN is trying to form the state government by hook or by crook - more by crook."