KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — Perak Umno has nominated its chief Datuk Saarani Mohamad to be the next mentri besar after Bersatu’s Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu lost the position.
A Barisan Nasional (BN) source said the choice of Saarani who is also Kota Tampan assemblyman has been unanimous from the start.
“From the very beginning, we 25 assemblymen from BN/Umno nominated him since he is the state liaison chairman,” the source told Malay Mail on condition of anonymity when contacted today.
Perak Umno leaders had their meeting last night.
However, the source said Umno has yet to formally submit Saarani’s name to Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah as talks with potential coalition partners to form the state government were ongoing.
Earlier, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is also BN chairman said the coalition will look into a new alliance if they cannot retain the existing coalition under Perikatan Nasional (PN) to form a government in Perak.
Umno is not officially a PN component party but the two Malay parties have been allies and form the government federally as well as in a number of other states.
Umno is also in partnership with Islamist party PAS under Muafakat Nasional (MN).
PAS today said it is open to discussing a way to form government in Perak again, reversing is previous stance last Friday.
Ahmad Faizal was ousted as mentri besar in a no-confidence motion last Friday tabled in the 59-seat Perak assembly by Umno’s Pengkalan Baru representaive Datuk Abd Manap Hashim.
The Bersatu deputy president lost the vote as a combined 48 state assemblymen from Umno and PH voted against him, while only 10 voted in his favour (four from Bersatu, three from PAS, two from Umno and the remaining two independent). The last vote was a spoilt vote.
The Perak Legislative Assembly has 25 BN assemblymen, all from Umno. DAP has 16, Amanah (five), Bersatu (five), PKR (three), PAS (three), while Gerakan has one and the last is an independent assemblyman.
A simple majority of 30 seats is required to form a state government.
