This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 28, 2016.

KUALA LUMPUR: Only three out of nine members of the Kedah state executive council (exco) attended the weekly meeting yesterday with Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, a sign that support for his leadership of the state government has crumbled.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider that the three exco members present at the meeting were Datuk Suraya Yaacob, who is in charge of women’s welfare and development, agriculture and entrepreneur development; Datuk Norsabrina Mohd Noor, who handles science, innovation and information technology; and Aminuddin Omar, who is in charge of youth and sports, arts and culture and human development.

No press conference was held after the meeting, a departure from the usual practice each week.

The three exco members avoided members of the press, who had been waiting at the state government building at Wisma Kedah in Alor Setar.

“Only three exco members attended the meeting today (yesterday), which was held at the usual time.

“Three is enough to continue running the state government administration until a new menteri besar is named,” a source said.

The source also said the swearing-in of a new Kedah menteri besar could be held today at the palace.

“Friday marks the weekend in Kedah, so at the very latest the new menteri besar could be sworn in tomorrow (today),” he said.

However, another source from the palace told The Malaysian Insider that as yet, there had been no instructions to prepare for a swearing-in ceremony.

The only event to be held at the Istana Negeri Kedah today is the awarding of medals by Tunku Temenggong Kedah Tan Sri Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah.

Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, who is also the Sultan of Kedah.

The meeting was believed to be about appointing a new menteri besar for the state.

Mukhriz is only a term into being a menteri besar after Barisan Nasional wrested Kedah back from the opposition in the 2013 general election.

Last Wednesday, a group of Umno Kedah leaders led by the party’s deputy liaison chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah declared their loss of confidence in his leadership and called for his ouster.

Media reports said 19 Umno representatives in the state assembly had signed sworn statements in support of Mukhriz’s removal. — The Malaysian Insider