KUALA TERENGGANU, Aug 15 — PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar was sworn in as the menteri besar of Terengganu for the second term today.

Ahmad Samsuri, 53, who is also the elected assemblyman for Ru Rendang, took his oath of office at 3.18pm before the Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin at Istana Syarqiyyah in Chendering.

Also present at the swearing-in ceremony of the new menteri besar and state executive councillors were Yang Dipertuan Muda of Terengganu Tengku Muhammad Ismail Sultan Mizan and Tengku Muhammad Muaz Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.

Ahmad Samsuri, who was first appointed as menteri besar in 2018, was reappointed to lead the state government after the alliance of PAS and Bersatu made a clean sweep of all the 32 seats in the state polls last Saturday.

He also retained his Ru Rendang seat with a 17,286-vote majority after garnering 20,927 votes against Pakatan Harapan’s candidate Suhaimi Sulaiman.

Prior to becoming menteri besar, the father of six had served as political secretary to PAS president and former menteri besar Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang from 2008 to 2018.

Ahmad Samsuri contested for the Ru Rendang state seat for the first time in the 14th General Election in 2018 and won with a 6,028-vote majority against Barisan Nasional’s candidate Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku.

Better known as Dr Sam, the former head of the Aerospace Department of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and holder of a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from the University Of Leeds, United Kingdom, had been one of the main sources of reference in the discussions into the mystery of the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 and the downing of flight MH17.

At the ceremony, 10 elected assemblymen were sworn in as the new state executive councillors. They are Azman Ibrahim (Jabi), Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah (Wakaf Mempelam), Dr Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi (Batu Buruk), Ariffin Deraman (Alor Limbat), Maliaman Kassim (Ajil), Datuk Satiful Bahari Mamat (Paka), Datuk Razali Idris (Kijal), Hanafiah Mat (Chukai), Hishamuddin Abdul Karim (Tepoh) and Mohd Nurkhuzaini Ab Rahman (Kota Putera). — Bernama