IPOH:The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah has given consent for the Kota Tampan assemblyman Datuk Saarani Mohamad to be appointed as the new Menteri Besar of Perak.

Comptroller of the Perak Royal Household Datuk Abd Rahim Mohamad said based on Article XVI, Clause 2 (a) of the Perak Constitution, Sultan Nazrin is of the opinion that Saarani is capable of gaining the majority support and confidence of the Perak State Assembly members.

“His Majesty has set the swearing-in ceremony to be held at 11 am tomorrow at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar,” he said in a statement read out by a member of Dewan Negara Perak, Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini here today.

Saarani, 59, who is also Perak UMNO chairman, will be the 14th Menteri Besar of Perak, replacing Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu who resigned, along with all the state executive council members, on Dec 5.

Ahmad Faizal, who is Chenderiang assemblyman, vacated the Menteri Besar’s post after he failed to obtain the majority support of the state assemblymen in a vote of confidence moved by Datuk Abd Manap Hashim (BN-Pengkalan Baru) at the State Assembly sitting last Friday.

Ahmad Faizal secured only 10 votes, while 48 voted against him and one abstained.

Saarani’s nomination as the new Menteri Besar of Perak was supported by Bersatu, Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS through an agreement reached during a discussion involving the three parties today.

Born on March 13, 1961, Saarani was Lenggong UMNO chief before being elected as Kota Tampan assemblyman in 2004.

The Perak DUN has 59 state assemblymen with UMNO having the most seats at 25, followed by DAP (16), Amanah (5), Bersatu (5), PKR (3) and PAS (3), while Gerakan and Independent have one seat each.

-- BERNAMA