Terengganu MB Tussle - Ahmad Said To Pick Many New Faces For Terengganu Exco

The State Assemblyman for Kijal, Datuk Ahmad Said, who started work as the new Terengganu Menteri Besar today, said he would appoint members of the State Executive Council (Exco) from among the 23 Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives.

"Of course (I will pick them as State Exco members because) they were elected by the people," he told reporters at Wisma Darul Iman, here today.

Asked about the lack of support for him from the BN elected representatives, Ahmad said he believed some of them supported him.

He said the elected representatives who would be appointed State Exco members would take their oath of office at a ceremony to be decided later.

He also disclosed that the Exco line-up would see a drastic change with the entry of many new faces.

"It's normal, when things are new, some will remain, some will be new," he said.

On Sunday, Ahmad, 51, received the letter of appointment as the new Terengganu Menteri Besar from the Regency Advisory Council (MPPR) in a closed-door ceremony at Istana Tetamu, here.

He received the letter from the Head of the Council, Tengku Sri Panglima Raja Tengku Baderulzaman witnessed by two other members of the Council, namely Tengku Sri Laksamana Raja Tengku Sulaiman Sultan Ismail and former Federal Court Judge, Datuk Abdul Kadir Sulaiman.

His appointment replaced Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, who had earlier received a letter from Prime Minister Dauk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, nominating him as the Menteri Besar for the second term.

Ahmad also said that he did not have to take the oath of office as the Menteri Besar because the letter of appointment he received on Sunday had confirmed his position as the new Menteri Besar. (Bernama)

***** Well Ahmad Said seems upbeat amidst all the hoo-haa! Perhaps he has reason to be. A little earlier Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, the chairman of the Terengganu Umno Liaison Body had morosely announced that he will accept whatever decision taken by the leadership and the palace for the good of the rakyat, including the possibility of not taking the menteri besar's post.

What one can deduce from this announcement is that a deal has been made somewhere along the line and our man Idris is out.

There is no doubt that no matter who may replace Idris, Umno as a party and as the major partner in the government has taken a solid beating and can only emerge weaker from this test of wills. The political landscape is being realigned and reformed with no one really knowing what will happen tomorrow, let alone next week.
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