Zahid submits Perak MB name to sultan, confident on majority with PAS, Bersatu

 

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has submitted the party's candidate for Perak menteri besar to Sultan Nazrin Shah.

Zahid was tightlipped about who the candidate was or how many there were - saying this will be announced by the monarch.

However, he was confident that Umno has secured a majority to form the next state government.

"We have presented (our candidate) and I am very confident that there is more than enough majority support," he told reporters after his audience with the sultan at Istana Kinta, Ipoh.

Asked about whether PAS and Bersatu were on board, he replied, "I have said that, as much we can, we will defend the cooperation of Perikatan Nasional.

"This means the forming of this new government is between Umno, Bersatu, and PAS," he said.

When pressed on whether there is a majority, he replied: "God willing".

Earlier, Zahid and Perak Umno chief Saarani Mohamad had a half-hour audience with Sultan Nazri.

Perak is in need of a new menteri besar after Bersatu's Ahmad Faizal Azumu (photo) was ousted through a vote of confidence mooted by Umno last week.

The central PAS leadership has decided the party will not take part in efforts to form the next state government, and there has been no indication from the party that they have changed their stance.

Meanwhile, Bersatu has said it was dismayed by the move to oust Faizal, who is the party's deputy president.

In a statement last night, the party said it would seek to foster closer cooperation with PAS - while noting that Umno had not supported the motion of confidence they themselves tabled,

PAS and Bersatu are expected to have an audience with Sultan Nazrin later today. - Mkini