This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on February 4, 2016.

ALOR SETAR: Bakar Bata state assemblyman Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah was named as the new  menteri besar of Kedah yesterday to take over from Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir today. 

The announcement was made by Kedah State Secretary Datuk Bakar Din at a press conference in Wisma Darul Aman here soon after Mukhriz announced his resignation as the menteri besar with immediate effect, Bernama reported. 

“Following the resignation of Datuk Seri Mukhriz as the menteri besar, the Council of Regency has consented to the appointment of Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah, state assemblyman for Bakar Bata, as the menteri besar effective Feb 4.

“The swearing-in of the [new] Kedah menteri besar will be held today (Feb 4) at 10am at Istana Anak Bukit, Alor Setar,” he said. 

Ahmad Bashah, who resigned yesterday as the deputy minister of domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism, will become the 12th menteri besar of Kedah. 

Replying to questions from reporters, Bakar said he could not provide details of the support for Mukhriz from other assemblymen from the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition at their audience with the Kedah Council of Regency on Monday and Tuesday.

The secret ballot on the support for Mukhriz was conducted before the Kedah Council of Regency by all the BN and opposition assemblymen in Wisma Darul Aman on Monday and Tuesday.

Mukhriz came under pressure to resign after several Kedah assemblymen, MPs and state Umno leaders led by Ahmad Bashah, who is Kedah Umno liaison committee deputy chairman, expressed no confidence in his leadership as the menteri besar and chairman of the state Umno liaison committee.

The Malaysian Insider reported that Mukhriz was two votes short of the majority he needed after two state assemblymen decided not to pick sides during their audience with the Kedah Regency Council recently, a source revealed.

The source said the Kedah palace informed Mukhriz after their meeting with the assemblymen that he had the support of 16 state representatives, while another 17 wanted him out and two abstained.

BN holds 21 seats in the Kedah state legislative assembly, while the opposition has 15 seats.

The news site also reported Ahmad Bashah as saying that he would only announce his agenda for Kedah after swearing in as menteri besar today. — Bernama/The Malaysian Insider