Ahmad Bashah can remain as Senator or give up post - Azalina

Kedah Menteri Besar-designate Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah has a choice of either to remain as a senator or resign from the post.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the Federal Constitution did not prohibit any member of the Dewan Negara (Senate) from holding the post of menteri besar.

"However, I believe YB Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah will make the best choice for the state's well-being and continuity of the state's leadership," she said in a statement Wednesday.

She was commenting on Ahmad Bashah's position as a member of the Dewan Negara after the Bakar Bata assemblyman was named as the new Kedah menteri besar today.

READ: Who is Ahmad Bashah, the new Kedah MB?

In ALOR SETAR, Ahmad Bashah, who will be sworn in tomorrow, replacing Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who today announced his resignation, told a press conference that he had resigned as deputy minister of domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism and as a senator effective today.

Ahmad Bashah said he had sent the letter of resignation as deputy minister to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the letter of resignation as a senator to Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang.

Ahmad Bashah was appointed as a senator by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah for a three-year term from May 15, 2013.

He was appointed domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism deputy minister the same year.

In the 13th General Election in 2013, Ahmad Bashah retained the Bakar Bata state seat (previously known as Alor Merah) for the fifth term, when he defeated Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Mohd Eekmal Ahmad and Parti Bersatu Sasa (Bersama) candidate Jawahae Raja Abdul Wahid with a majority of 895 votes.