ARAU, May 24 — Datuk Seri Azlan Man took his oath as the mentri besar of the new Perlis government at Istana Arau today in a ceremony unattended by the nine other Barisan Nasional state assemblymen.
The three Pakatan Harapan and two PAS state assemblymen attended the swearing-in before the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail.
BN had won 10 of the 15 seats in the state legislative assembly in the general election on May 9. Pakatan Harapan had won three seats and PAS, two.
Azlan, when approached after the event, said he was committed to discharging his duties as the menteri besar well and hoped to get the full support of the other elected representatives, especially the BN assemblymen, to realise the Perlis development agenda.
He also said that he would consult BN acting chairman and Umno acting president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Umno acting deputy president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on the best formula to appoint the state executive councillors.
“I know the state government is an opposition government and this does not make the task (of the menteri besar) any easier but it is a challenge the state government has to face. I will work to the best of my ability,” he said.
He also said that the state government would abide by any change in the policy of the federal government and expressed the hope that Perlis would not be marginalised. Pakatan Harapan won the general election on May 9 and assumed power at the federal level.
Azlan, who holds a Masters in International Economics from the University of Denver, United States, commenced duties as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer (PTD) in 1983. He served as the Malaysian consul in Toronto, Canada, in 1985 and as the principal assistant secretary in the Foreign Ministry in 1992.
He was also the counsellor at the Malaysian Permanent Mission at the United Nations in 1999.
Azlan contested the general election in 2013 and was appointed the mentri besar of Perlis. — Bernama
