KUALA KANGSAR: Newly sworn-in Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad has wasted no time in getting to work, with five state executive councillors set to be sworn in at Istana Iskandariah at 2.30pm today.
The state Umno chief said Sultan Nazrin Shah has given his consent to the five exco members, whom he did not name, as soon as his swearing-in ceremony was completed this morning.
He said their appointments needed to be expedited to ensure that the new state government can hold its first exco meeting, with the first order of business was to go through the state’s budget which will be tabled next Wednesday.
“According to the law, a state government needs to be established with at least one menteri besar and four exco members,” he told a press conference.
Saarani said there might not be enough time to change anything in the budget, but added that it had already been discussed by several other exco members under previous menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu, including himself.
“I know and understand what’s in the budget book, so we don’t have to change anything in it. It’s just a formality. God-willing, we will pass the budget at the exco level for it to be tabled at the state assembly,” he said.
The budget was supposed to be tabled yesterday but had to be postponed to next Wednesday following the political crisis.
State assembly speaker Mohamad Zahir Abdul Khalid yesterday adjourned proceedings to next week since there were no menteri besar or exco members.