KUALA TERENGGANU: PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has been sworn in as the Mentri Besar of Terengganu for a second term.
Ahmad Samsuri, 53, who is the assemblyman for Ru Rendang, took his oath of office at 3.18pm yesterday before Terengganu Ruler Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin at the state palace Istana Syarqiyyah in Chendering here.
Also at the swearing-in of the mentri besar and state executive councillors were the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Terengganu Tengku Muhammad Ismail Sultan Mizan and Tengku Muhammad Muaz Sultan Mizan, Bernama reported.
Better known as Dr Sam, Ahmad Samsuri – who was first appointed as Mentri Besar in 2018 – was reappointed to lead the state government after the alliance of PAS and Bersatu made a clean sweep of all 32 seats in the state polls last Saturday.
He also retained his Ru Rendang seat with a 17,286-vote majority, garnering 20,927 votes against Pakatan Harapan’s Suhaimi Sulaiman.
Back again: Ahmad Samsuri taking his oath of office before Sultan Mizan at Istana Syarqiyyah in Kuala Terengganu. — Bernama
Prior to becoming mentri besar, the father of six served as political secretary to PAS president and former mentri besar Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang from 2008 to 2018. He contested for the Ru Rendang seat for the first time in the 14th General Election in 2018 and won with a 6,028-vote majority against Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku.
The former head of the Aerospace Department of Universiti Putra Malaysia and a holder of a doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from Leeds University in United Kingdom, he has been a source of reference in the discussion into the mystery of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the downing of Flight MH17.
At the ceremony, 10 newly-elected assemblymen were sworn in as state executive councillors. They are Dr Azman Ibrahim (Jabi), Wan Sukairi Wan Abdullah (Wakaf Mempelam), Dr Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi (Batu Buruk), Ariffin Deraman (Alor Limbat), Maliaman Kassim (Ajil), Datuk Satiful Bahari Mamat (Paka), Datuk Razali Idris (Kijal), Hanafiah Mat (Chukai), Hishamuddin Abdul Karim (Tepoh) and Mohd Nurkhuzaini Ab Rahman (Kota Putera).
