BN’s Hasni says Johor MB appointment decision depends on outcome of meeting between Johor Sultan and Zahid

JOHOR BARU, March 14 — Johor Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Hasni Mohammad today said that the appointment of the Johor Mentri Besar’s post will be made known only after a meeting between the Johor Sultan and his party’s top leadership.

He said BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, as the political party leader that commands the most state assembly seats, was required to meet Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar over the appointment.

“It is a required process where the political party leader will meet with the Johor Ruler only after the Election Commission (EC) has handed over the official results of the recently concluded Johor state election,

“The question of when the Johor mentri besar will be appointed will depends on the meeting,” Hasni told reporters at the Johor Umno Liaison building along Jalan Yahya Awal here today.

Hasni, who is the newly-elected Benut assemblyman and the Johor mentri besar designate, said he was not with Ahmad Zahid when he had an audience with Sultan Ibrahim at an unknown location earlier today.

Prior to that Ahmad Zahid held a meeting with the coalition’s deputy chief Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Hasni before leaving to seek an audience with Sultan Ibrahim over the Johor mentri besar’s appointment at 3.15pm.

There have been rumours that there are other candidates from BN that have also been named for the state’s top post.

Since BN’s landslide victory on Saturday night, the names of newly-elected state representatives — Machap assemblyman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Rengit assemblyman Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi — have been circulating as possible Johor mentri besar candidates.

Hasni declined to comment on the rumours.

Since last month, Ahmad Zahid had said that Hasni is the sole candidate for the Johor mentri besar’s post if BN received the mandate to form the state government.

On Saturday night, Ahmad Zahid in BN’s victory speech again reiterated his promise to submit Hasni’s name to the Johor palace.

He said the single nomination provided space for the stability of the state government’s administration and a guarantee for the various development efforts to be implemented.

On Saturday night, BN had secured Johor with a super-majority, making a stunning comeback.

BN, led by lynchpin Umno, won 40 seats in the 56-seat state assembly after just over half of Johor’s eligible voters cast their ballots.

This gives the coalition a two-thirds majority in the state legislative assembly to form the next state government and name the coalition’s mentri besar of choice.