Two Bersatu, two PAS members among 5 sworn in as Perak exco

Two assemblymen from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), two from PAS and one from Barisan Nasional (BN) were sworn in today as Perak state executive councillors, completing the 10-member line-up in the state exco.

The five, who had all served in the previous administration, are Abdul Yunus Jamahri (Bersatu-Kuala Kurau), Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi (Bersatu-Tualang Sekah), Razman Zakaria (PAS-Gunung Semanggol), Mohd Akmal Kamaruddin (PAS-Selama) and Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud (BN-Changkat Jering).

They took their oath of office before Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah in a brief ceremony at Istana Kinta here at 5pm.

Apart from new Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad, the others present at the ceremony were state secretary Ahmad Suadi Abdul Rahim and Ipoh High Court chief judge Hisham Hashim.

On Dec 10, five exco members had been sworn in at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar. Saarani was also sworn in before Sultan Nazrin on the same day.

Four of the exco members - Zolkafly Harun (BN-Lintang), Shahrul Zaman Yahya (BN-Rungkup), Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin (BN-Kampung Gajah) and Khairul Shahril Mohamed (BN-Bota) - had served in the previous administration while Zainol Fadzi Paharudin (Bersatu-Sungai Manik) is a new face.

The previous Perak exco was disbanded after Ahmad Faizal Azumu resigned as the Menteri Besar on Dec 5 following his defeat in a vote of confidence in the state legislative assembly a day earlier.

In the confidence motion tabled by Abd Manap Hashim (BN-Pengkalan Baru), Ahmad Faizal, the Chenderiang assemblyperson, obtained only 10 votes in support and 48 against his leadership, with one abstention.

The Perak state assembly has 59 representatives - 25 from BN, all Umno; 16 from DAP; five from Amanah; five from Bersatu; three from PKR; three from PAS; and one each from Gerakan and Independent.

Earlier today, Perak Dewan Negara member Mohd Annuar Zaini told reporters outside Istana Kinta that Sultan Nazrin had consented to the swearing-in of five more exco members today, as the Perak state assembly sitting would resume tomorrow with the tabling of the state Budget 2021.

He said it would be a brief ceremony because the state was still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

- Bernama