Terengganu Mentri Besar from PAS to be sworn in tonight (May 10)

Terengganu PAS commissioner Datuk Husain Awang. - Photo: Sinar Harian

MARANG: Terengganu’s new PAS government will have a new Mentri Besar on Thursday night.

The swearing-in ceremony for the new Mentri Besar will be held before Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin at Istana Syarqiyyah at 8.30pm, state PAS commissioner Datuk Husain Awang said here.

He also announced to the press that the state government will also consist of 10 state executive councillors.

In GE14, PAS won 22 seats in the 32-seat assembly in Terengganu.

The other 10 were won by Barisan Nasional.

Pakatan Harapan who contested all seats on offer in Terengganu had failed to win even one.

Among names being touted as potential Mentri Besar candidate include PAS election director Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, state PAS information chief Mohd Nor Hamzah and deputy state PAS commissioner Dr Alias Razak.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang did not contest a state seat in GE14, and therefore will not be in the running for the Mentri Besar post.

Dr Ahmad Samsuri, who is also Abdul Hadi's political secretary, defended his boss’ seat of Ru Rendang with a majority of 6021 against Barisan’s Datuk Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku and Pakatan’s Dr Zarawi Sulong.

Mohd Nor retained his Bukit Payung seat with a majority of 4488 while Dr Alias secured his Bukit Tunggal seat with a 2344 majority.

The last time PAS governed Terengganu was in 1999 until 2004, in which Abdul Hadi was the Mentri Besar. It won 28 out 32 seats then.