PETALING JAYA, Sept 22 — PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has been chosen by the Selangor ruler as the next mentri best of the state, according to an appointment letter signed off by the Sultan’s private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani.
“Yes, the letter is true. Azmin is the new MB. Tomorrow it will take place at 10.30am,” The Sultan’s private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Azmin’s appointment is effective beginning tomorrow.
Met outside PKR’s headquarters, Azmin and the party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim refused to confirm the appointment, only saying that a statement will be issued at 8pm.
“The statement is very encouraging and positive,” said Anwar briefly, before leaving.
In the letter, the palace has instructed Azmin to be present at 10.30am at Istana Alam Shah in Klang to take the oath and subsequent swearing ceremony.
The appointment ends months of speculation and squabbling after PKR’s decision to nominate it’s president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail was rejected by it’s Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ally, PAS.
Both PKR and the DAP had nominated just Dr Wan Azizah as MB, while PAS sent in an undisclosed list of candidates, which reportedly did not include Dr Wan Azizah.
Several news reports stated that the Selangor palace had initially picked PAS’ Iskandar Samad for the post but the assemblyman turned down the offer, allegedly due to health reasons.
English-language daily The Star reported Saturday that Azmin, as well as PAS state executive councillors Iskandar and Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, were interviewed by the Selangor palace separately last week on their potential to be the next mentri besar.
Iskandar, who is Selangor PAS commissioner and Cempaka assemblyman, and Dr Ahmad Yunus, PAS’s Sijangkang assemblyman, were two of the three individuals named by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in the party’s list of potential mentri besar candidates to the Sultan.
