Ahmad Bashah gives up posts of deputy minister, senator

Kedah Menteri Besar-designate Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah has resigned as the deputy minister of domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism and as a senator with immediate effect.

He said he sent the letter of resignation as the deputy minister to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the letter of resignation as a senator to the President of the Dewan Negara.

"It is official that I have given up the two posts. My term of senatorship is not over yet, but tomorrow I have to be sworn in (as the menteri besar). So, I have to give up the two posts," he told a press conference at Bangunan Tunku here today.

Kedah State Secretary Datuk Bakar Din announced at a press conference at Wisma Darul Aman here today that Ahmad Bashah, the state assemblyman for Bakar Bata, would be sworn in tomorrow as the new menteri besar of Kedah to take over from Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir.

Mukhriz had earlier announced his resignation as the menteri besar with immediate effect.

The political crisis involving Mukhriz's position began on Jan 20 when Kedah Assemblymen and Members of Parliament as well as senior state UMNO leaders led by Ahmad Bashah, who is also deputy chairman of Kedah Umno, expressed their loss of confidence in the leadership of Mukhriz as the Menteri Besar and chairman of the State UMNO Liaison Body.

Mukhriz when announcing his resignation this morning, said he had been informed that he had lost the confidence of the majority in the Kedah State Legislative Assembly.

At the media conference, Ahmad Bashah, 66, said that when he held the media conference calling for Mukhriz to be replaced on Jan 20, it had never crossed his mind to become the Menteri Besar.

"If I had wanted the position, I could have done it long ago. It is not my ambition. But (it) has happened (and) I accept, (I) don't protest or oppose anyone. (My) objective is to see a strong UMNO.

"I have been involved in UMNO for a long time and became an elected representative for five terms. (My) intention is not to be the Menteri Besar but to be with the leadership," he said.

Ahmad Bashah said the two-week csisis ended today with the requests of the state UMNO leaders being met.

"We want a change in leadership...this morning, it was announced. The incident that transpired since Jan 20 has ended. That is the wish of the UMNO leadership which desired a change to be made," he said.

Ahmad Bashah said the change in the post of Menteri Besar was normal in Kedah but support for UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) had always been solid.

"What is important is that we want to carry out the task together. What is important is to maintain power in Kedah," he said.

He was confident that Mukhriz, despite relinquishing the post of Menteri Besar, would continue to assist the party to ensure that UMNO continued to be in power in Kedah.