The UMNO candidate for the Perak Menteri Besar (MB) post has more than the majority needed, said party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the name of the candidate was presented to the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah when he was at Istana Kinta, Ipoh, this morning.
“That’s it. We have submitted the name and I am very confident that he has big majority support.
“I was granted an audience with Sultan Nazrin to present a letter requesting the ruler’s consent to consider the candidate to be the next MB of Perak,” he told reporters after the half-hour meeting with Sultan Nazrin.
As Perak has 59 state assemblymen, a simple majority would require 30 votes.
Also present was Kota Tampan assemblyman, Datuk Saarani Mohamad who is also Perak UMNO Liaison Committee chairman.
According to Ahmad Zahid who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, the palace would issue a statement to announce the new MB.
Ahmad Zahid reiterated that cooperation in the Perikatan Nasional government in Perak would continue involving UMNO, Bersatu and PAS.
Apart from Saarani, Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya, who is Rungkup assemblyman, has also been mentioned as the MB candidate.
The Perak MB post became vacant following Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s resignation last Saturday after he lost the majority support of members of the state assembly through a confidence vote during the assembly sitting last Friday.
He secured only 10 votes, 48 voted against him, and one abstained.
The Perak State Legislative Assembly comprises 25 assemblymen from BN, Bersatu (five), PAS (three), DAP (16), PKR (three), Amanah (five), Gerakan (one) and Independent (one).