IPOH, Dec 7 — Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been granted a second audience with Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah.

A source from the Istana Kinta who spoke on condition of anonymity said Ahmad Zahid is expected at the Perak palace here at 10am tomorrow.

It is believed that the Umno president will be submitting its candidate for the Perak mentri besar post then.

The same palace source also told Malay Mail that preparations have been made for the new mentri besar’s swearing-in at the Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar and for a press conference by whoever is appointed immediately after the ceremony at the Dewan Jubli, also in Kuala Kangsar.

The source did not disclose when exactly the ceremony would happen.

The Perak State Assembly, which was adjourned last Friday after Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu lost the confidence vote as mentri besar, is set to reconvene on Wednesday at 2pm.

Separately, a Perak Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) assemblyman told Malay Mail that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance is very much alive.

The Bersatu assemblyman who also spoke on condition of anonymity said his party did not set any conditions with Umno for its support in Perak.

"We are working with Umno and other parties in federal and many states. Of course, we’re still with PN,” he said.

He stopped short of saying it was a done deal, but his comments indicate that a new partnership between Umno and Bersatu may have formed, sufficient for a new government in Perak.

Umno has 25 seats while Bersatu has five seats.

A new government only needs to command a simple majority of 30 out of the 59 seats in the state assembly.

The division for the rest of the assembly is as follows: PAS three; DAP 16; Amanah five; PKR three; Gerakan one; and the last is an independent.

Earlier today, Umno’s Rungkup assemblyman Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya said all 25 Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen in Perak have unanimously agreed to nominate Datuk Saarani Mohamad as the next Perak MB.

Shahrul denied that he has been one of the shortlisted candidates as rumoured.