Perlis to get new MB
> Power tussle over as invites sent for swearing-in ceremony today
GEORGE TOWN: The power struggle for the post of mentri besar in Perlis has come to an end as a swearing-in ceremony will be held tomorrow.
A candidate for mentri besar has been selected with the blessings of the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail and invitations to the ceremony have been sent to assemblymen.
Umno acting president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his acting deputy Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein were earlier granted an audience on Tuesday with the state ruler at the palace in Arau.
They were believed to have offered their suggestions on who should represent Barisan Nasional (BN) as the mentri besar.
A list has been submitted and it is learnt that the names of former mentri besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man (Bintong), Datuk Ismail Kassim (Tambun Tulang) and Azizan Sulaiman (Santan) have been forwarded.
Alternatively, another candidate could be mooted by the palace.
Perlis is the smallest state in the country with a population of around 250,000.
It is even smaller than the Kubang Pasu district in Kedah where its economic activities mirror its neighbours.
The state is strong in cross-border trade, agriculture, services and cottage industries.
Political scientist Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said Perlis has often delayed its nomination of mentris besar.
In 2013, the state palace had to deliberate with various quarters for two weeks before settling on Azlan as the candidate, he said.
Azlan took over from Datuk Seri Md Isa Sabu in 2013, who in turn took over from the Perlis Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim in 2008.
Shahidan was the long-time mentri besar having served in the state from 1995 to 2008.
The impasse began when Shahidan, upon the completion of the 14th general election, proposed his brother Ismail for the top post which Azlan claimed he was kept in the dark on the matter.
Since then, the palace has met with almost all backbenchers to seek their views on the issue.
In the election, BN won 10 out of the 15 state seats and two out of three parliamentary seats. Pakatan Harapan (PH) through PKR has three state and one parliament seat while PAS has the remaining three state seats.
There had been suggestions for a national unity government consisting of representatives from BN, PH and PAS be formed, following the power struggle.
But the quorum was not met as the 10 BN assemblymen were hesitant to accept the concept.