ALOR SETAR, Feb 1 — Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir joined other Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen for an audience with the Kedah Regency Council in Alor Setar today.

News portal Star Online reported that the Kedah mentri besar arrived at Wisma Darul Aman at 4.25pm.

It is understood that he left an hour later.

The council is meeting each BN rep separately. Each will have 20 minutes with the Kedah royalty.

The audience, which started at 3pm, is expected to last at least seven hours, Star Online added.

The political crisis in Kedah arose following the loss of confidence of the Kedah Umno Assemblymen and Members of Parliament (MPs) as well as the state Umno senior leadership led by deputy chairman of the Kedah Umno Liaison Body Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah in the leadership of Mukhriz as the mentri besar and chairman of the liaison body.

It was reported that 19 of the 21 BN Assemblymen, comprising 17 Umno assemblymen and two from the MCA, had signed a statutory declaration on their loss of confidence in Mukhriz.

Only the Jitra Assemblyman, Datuk Aminuddin Omar did not do so.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was reported as having been granted an audience with Tunku Sallehuddin, who is also Tunku Temenggong Kedah, at Istana Darul Aman, Federal Hill in the federal capital to discuss a change in the Kedah mentri besar.