New Kedah MB retains all state executive councillors

Nine Kedah state assemblymen were sworn in today as state executive councillors, all of them having been retained from the state executive council led by former menteri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir. They took their oath of office before the chairman of the Kedah Council of Regency, Tan Sri Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, at Istana Anak Bukit in Alor Star. The assemblymen are Datuk Dr Ku Abdul Rahman (Guar Cempedak); Datuk Suraya Yaacob (Sungai Tiang); Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain (Tanjung Dawai); Datuk Badrul Hisham Hashim (Kuala Nerang).  Datuk Mohd Rawi Abd Hamid (Ayer Hangat); Datuk Mohd Tajudin Abdullah (Belantik); Datuk Noorsabrina Mohd Noor (Bandar Baharu); Datuk Aminuddin Omar (Jitra) Datuk Dr Leong Yong Kong (Gurun). Two other members of the Council of Regency – Tan Sri Tunku Intan Shafinaz Tuanku Abdul Halim and Tan Sri Tunku Abdul Hamid Thani Ibni Alhmarhum Sultan Badlishah – were also present at the ceremony, along with Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.  Ahmad Bashah is scheduled to announce the portfolios of the state executive councillors at a press conference at his office at Wisma Darulaman after the swearing-in ceremony. The swearing-in of the new state executive council members follows the appointment of Ahmad Bashah as the new menteri besar on February 4. Mukhriz resigned a day earlier after citing loss of majority support in the state legislative assembly. This followed an announcement by several senior Umno leaders in Kedah that they had lost confidence in Mukhriz as menteri besar and head of the stats Umno liaison committee. Mukhriz, who is the state assemblyman for Ayer Hitam, was the only one out of the 21 Barisan Nasional assemblymen in the state absent from the swearing-in ceremony today. – Bernama, February 22, 2016.]]>