PETALING JAYA: Newly appointed Perikatan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar says that he aims to create a political consensus for all Malaysians across diverse religions, races, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.
In a statement issued immediately after his appointment to the post, the Terengganu Mentri Besar and PAS vice-president said that he is also determined to consolidate Perikatan.
The Perikatan supreme council unanimously appointed Ahmad Samsuri to the post on Sunday (Feb 22), succeeding Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned on Jan 1.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the trust and mandate entrusted to me as the new chairman of Perikatan, as resolved by all the presidents of Perikatan component parties and members of the Perikatan supreme council during an extraordinary meeting held on Sunday (Feb 22).
"I extend my highest appreciation to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for his dedicated service as the chairman of Perikatan since its inception, alongside the entire leadership of the supreme council, for building Perikatan into an excellent foundation of political consensus," he said.
Ahmad Samsuri noted that this foundation enabled the coalition to secure a significant number of seats in the 15th General Election.
"This new responsibility is immense, heavy and challenging, particularly given the high expectations from various parties and the public for Perikatan to serve as a political consensus capable of bringing meaningful change for all Malaysians," he added.
He said he would engage with the supreme council leadership to convene a meeting to determine appointments for necessary designations in accordance with the Perikatan Constitution.
The 56-year-old Ru Rendang assemblyman has served as Terengganu Mentri Besar since 2018. In 2023, Terengganu Perikatan under his leadership secured a clean sweep of all 32 seats in the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly.
Academically, Ahmad Samsuri earned a PhD in Aeroengine Ignition and Combustion from the University of Leeds in 2001. Before entering politics, he had a distinguished aerospace engineering career, serving as a professor in practice at Universiti Selangor and as an associate professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
