IPOH: Perak PAS is confident that it would not be left out of the state government, hours after a new menteri besar and five executive councillors were sworn in.
Razman Zakaria, who leads the party in the state, said he was confident the camaraderie and unity between PAS and Umno will prevail in the formation of the new Perak state government.
He said the appointment of the state executive councillors was the prerogative of the menteri besar.
“Today, we were told that only five exco had been appointed, and this did not include any representative from PAS.
“But I am confident that the menteri besar won’t leave PAS out,” he said, referring to his counterpart from Umno, Saarani Mohamad.
Saarani, the Kota Tampan assemblyman, took his oath as the 14th Perak menteri besar at Istana Iskandariah this morning.
He later named five assemblymen as his excos – Zainol Fadzi Paharudin of PPBM and incumbents Zolkafly Harun, Shahrul Zaman Yahya, Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin and Khairul Shahril Mohamed, all from Umno.
Razman, however, said the party would accept whatever decision made, even if they were left out from the new lineup.
“What is important now are the issues affecting the rakyat and how those appointed can serve the interests of the people.”
PAS had on Friday declared it will not be part of any new Perak government following the ouster of then menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu who lost a vote of confidence in the state assembly.
Faizal lost by a vote of 48 to 10 with one abstention.
The Islamist party’s secretary-general, Takiyuddin Hassan, had said that all three of the party’s assemblymen had backed Faizal in the confidence motion submitted by Pengkalan Baru assemblyman Abdul Manaf Hashim, from Umno.
However, last night, Umno, PAS and PPBM leaders decided to back Saarani to be appointed the new menteri besar.
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