The Sultan of Perak Sultan has offered Pakatan Harapan the first option to form the Perak state government - only if Harapan can prove it has 30 seats in the state assembly, before 2pm tomorrow.

Perak Harapan met with Sultan Nazrin Azlan Shah this afternoon to get the monarch’s consent to form the state government, despite BN announcing earlier that it had enough seats to do so.

Later, the spokesperson of Istana Kinta, Mohd Annuar Zaini, told the media that Pakatan must prove that it has more than half of the state assembly seats - or 30 seats - in order to form the state government.

"Sultan has offered Pakatan the first option, since it has got the bigger kerusi of 29 (29 seats), but they need to prove it.

"If Harapan can prove they have 30 seats, (the palace) consider it. The time for Harapan to prove this is by 2pm tomorrow," Mohd Annuar said.

BN to meet ruler tomorrow morning

He said the ruler has also received a letter from BN to inform Sultan that they have 30 seats - BN 27 and PAS 3.

"The letter said they (BN and PAS) has agreed to form a government together", he said.

He said the ruler has asked BN to bring the 30 assemblypersons to the palace as proof.

If Harapan cannot prove they have the numbers, then the ruler will have to make a decision.

"This is what sultan wanted me to inform you all, so that your reports is correct," he told media.

Earlier, Perak DAP chief Nga Kor Ming told Malaysiakini that the ruler will have an audience with Harapan leaders at Istana Kinta, Ipoh, about 3pm today.

The other three Perak Harapan party leaders - Bersatu head Ahmad Faizal Azumu, Amanah head Asmuni Awi and Perak head Muhammad Nur Manuty - at around 3.20pm and entered Istana Kinta.

At the same time, Perak PAS leaders have been meeting with their central leaders in Terengganu to discuss whether to form a state government in Perak with BN or Harapan.

Yesterday night, state BN chairperson Zambry Abd Kadir's communications director Nizam Isa said BN already had enough seats to form the state government and would meet the sultan to seek his consent on the matter.

However, he did not state whether the coalition would form a state government with PAS, nor when BN representatives would meet the sultan.

Just a few hours prior to the BN press conference, Perak PAS said it had met with BN and Pakatan Harapan leaders unofficially, and told them that the party would not stop its struggles, including the move to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965, or Act 355.

Perak has a total of 59 state seats. In the May 9 general election, Harapan won 29 seats, BN 27 seats, and PAS three seats. 

Given the situation, PAS now finds itself in the position of kingmaker, to help either BN or Harapan reach the 30 seats needed to form the Perak state government.