GOMBAK, Feb 5 ― Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim said today that there was nothing wrong with how Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir was removed from his Kedah mentri besar seat as the leadership change was done in accordance with the state Constitution.
Rais, currently the socio-cultural advisor to the government, also pointed out that the decision to replace Mukhriz with Kedah Umno deputy chairman Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah was based on the consensus of the majority of the state’s assemblymen.
“But in the case of Kedah, the Sultan's regency decides to determine the support by calling each and every one of the Yang Berhormat (state assemblyman) and perhaps due to that cumulative findings, the regency council decided that Datuk Seri Mukhriz's leadership ought to be reconsidered after what has happened.
“I believe it was in order and unless it is challenged by somebody, this will stand,” he said after launching the ‘Budi’ programme at International Islamic University Malaysia's (IIUM) Gombak campus today.
He added it was time to move on from the crisis and focus on how the new state administration plans to govern Kedah.
“What I believe now is that the new group should to work together and build the state.
“There is little time for us to be in conflict now and I'm sure our PM has given sufficient advice on this and we should adhere on that,” he said.
Ahmad Bashah was sworn in as Kedah MB yesterday following Mukhriz's resignation on Wednesday after the latter was told by the Regency Council that he had lost the support of the majority in the state legislative assembly.
The Kedah Umno deputy chief was the man who led the delegation of 14 Umno division chiefs, state and federal lawmakers to call for removal of Mukhriz at a press conference on January 20.
Among the reasons given for their discontent was Mukhriz’s purported failure to govern the state, to unite the party and his lack of strategy for the next general election in 2018.
The Kedah Regency Council met with all the Barisan Nasional assemblymen in the state, including Mukhriz, and the state’s 15 opposition assemblymen on Monday and Tuesday to gauge their support for the embattled leader.
