IPOH, March 10 — Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu tendered his resignation as the mentri besar of Perak today, following yesterday’s announcement that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Umno and PAS have agreed to jointly form a new state government.
Ahmad Faizal said he submitted his resignation letter to Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah during his audience today at the Istana Kinta here.
“I have submitted the resignation letter to the Perak Sultan and it’s up to the Sultan whether he wants to accept my resignation or not,” he told reporters when met outside the Istana.
“I also have informed Sultan about the termination of all the state executive committee chairmen with immediate effect,” he added.
He said he briefed the Sultan about the status of Perikatan Nasional (PN), which has a majority of 32 seats to form a new government.
“I told the Sultan that we (Bersatu, Umno and PAS) have jointly agreed to accept whatever decision he makes in appointing a new mentri besar as well as the state executive committee chairmen,” he said.
“I hope all the parties and people will remain calm and wait for the decision from the Sultan. I also urge the people to pray for our state’s safety,” he added.
Ahmad Faizal also said that Bersatu has nominated him to be mentri besar.
When asked when a new MB would be sworn in, Ahmad Faizal said it will be as soon as after the decision made by the Sultan.
“The Perak Palace will fix a date for the ceremony,” he added.
Ahmad Faizal arrived at the Istana at 9.10am and met with the Sultan for about 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, Perak Umno chairman Datuk Saarani Mohamad, who left the Istana five minutes after Ahmad Faizal’s departure, told reporters that Perak Umno has nominated him to be the MB.
Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria, who arrived at the Istana at 11am, only met the Sultan for about five minutes and did not comment about the meeting.
Yesterday, Ahmad Faizal, announced that Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Umno and PAS have agreed to join forces to form a new state government.
The Perak Bersatu chairman also announced that former PKR Kuala Kurau assemblyman Datuk Abdul Yunus Jamhari and independent assemblyman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi have joined the party.
The PN bloc was also strengthened with the exit of two DAP assemblymen and one Amanah assemblyman from their respective parties from the Pakatan Harapan coalition.
Paul Yong Choo Kiong (DAP-Tronoh), A. Sivasubraniam (DAP-Buntong) and Hasnul Zulkarnain Abdul Munaim (Amanah-Titi Serong) all said they were resigning to become Independents backing Perikatan’s mentri besar.