Kedah gets a Speaker at last

ALOR SETAR: With the help of Umno, the impasse over the appointment of Kedah state assembly Speaker was finally resolved.Former Kuala Kedah MP Datuk Ahmad Kassim was elected as the Speaker.

Rumours were rife that Barisan Nasional assemblymen Datuk Dr Ku Abdul Rahman Ku Ismail (Guar Chempedak), Datuk Norsabrina Mohd Noor (Bandar Baharu) and Datuk Suraya Yaacob (Sungai Tiang) tipped the votes in Pakatan’s favour when Kedah state secretary Iqbal Ahmad initiated a vote among the 36 state assemblymen to decide between two nominees – Ahmad Kassim from PKR who received 21 votes and Kedah PAS commissioner Dr Ahmad Fakhruddin Sheikh Fakhrurazi who received 15 votes.

Norsabrina said they had chosen to put politics aside and did it for the sake of the state and its people by voting for Ahmad Kassim, 55.

She said this when met after the appointment of both state assembly speaker and deputy speaker as well as the swearing in of all 36 Kedah assemblymen during the first session of Kedah’s 14th state legislative assembly meeting held at Wisma Darulaman in Alor Setar yesterday.

The Deputy Speaker position went to Ayer Hangat assemblyman Johari Bulat from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia who received 20 votes while the opposition’s proposed candidate Bukit Pinang assemblyman Romani Wan Salim from PAS got 15 votes.

When approached, Jeneri assemblyman Muhammad Sanusi Md Noor from PAS said the long running question of PAS working with Barisan has been answered as it was clear that it was Pakatan and Barisan that were working together since the Umno assemblymen voted for Ahmad Kassim.

Muhammad Sanusi said PAS would however accept the decision with an open heart as they welcomed the democratic process.

On the appointment of Opposition leader, Muhammad Sanusi said he has been named to play the role.

Earlier during a press conference, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir expressed his gratitude to the three Barisan state assemblymen if they had given their votes to enable the appointment of Ahmad Kassim as the state assembly speaker.

He said as the election process was carried out secretly he could not say who among the Opposition gave three more votes to allow the candidate from Pakatan to be appointed.