Zahid to meet Melaka Governor to push for Umno Chief Minister

MELAKA: The announcement of a new Melaka chief minister is expected to be made by late Wednesday (March 4) evening.

It has been learnt that Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is seeking a meeting with the Yang-di Pertua Tun Dr Mohd Khalil Yaakob today to appeal for the Umno-backed candidate, Lendu assemblyman Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali, to be given the position, said sources.

The meeting came after Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia named its Paya Rumput assemblyman, Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen, as the chief minister.

Umno feels that Sulaiman, 55, is the best candidate for the position. For Umno, Sulaiman is the appropriate candidate as he has a clean record and well-liked by the various races in the state.

The sources said Umno had 13 lawmakers in the state (which has a total of 28 lawmakers) and should be allowed to nominate its candidate for the chief minister post.

The sources said Zahid would announce the party's stand after the meeting with Mohd Khalil.

It is not known if Umno will still continue to be part of Perikatan Nasional if the Wednesday's meeting fails to yield positive result.

The new Perikatan Nasional in Melaka has 13 Umno lawmakers, two Bersatu, and one PKR and one DAP.

One more PKR lawmaker is expected to announce his defection after the new government is formed.