KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 13 — The PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang believes a big part of the Perak crisis has been resolved now that Umno’s Datuk Saarani Mohamad has been appointed mentri besar.
The Islamist party’s state lawmakers helped tip the balance that ended the mentri besar stalemate between Umno and Bersatu last week, but were absent from the initial line-up of Saarani’s state executive council (exco) which comprised currently consists of four Umno and one Bersatu assemblymen.
“The rest will be based on the Perak State Constitution,” Abdul Hadi told reporters at the PAS headquarters today.
He did not address speculation that PAS was making a bid for its three assemblymen to be appointed next in the state exco.
Saarani told reporters last Friday that he had suggested five names to Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah to be included in his exco, but declined to disclose their identities.
The MB from Umno also said he would propose five more names for exco after the Perak Budget 2021 is approved.
He explained that he could only suggest the names and that the exco appointment was up to the sultan.
Hadi also confirmed today that PAS has been granted a royal audience, but refused to say when.
“Yes, we had been granted an audience with the Perak Sultan.
“But the date, I don’t think we need to reveal when,” he told reporters when asked.
Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria said that the party believes Saarani will not forget about the Islamist party on the appointment of excos.
Five state lawmakers have been sworn-in as Perak excos at the Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar after Saarani took his oath of office as the MB.
They are Umno’s Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Haru (Lintang), Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya (Rungkup), Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin (Kampong Gajah) and Khairul Shahril Mohamed (Bota), and Bersatu’s Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin (Sungai Manik).