SHAHIDAN SALAH KAN AZMI DAN RADZI

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim suspects two senior Umno members may be responsible for him not being appointed Perlis Mentri Besar.

He believed it was the doing of Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad and party supreme council member Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid.

Radzi and Azmi retained the Arau and Padang Besar parliamentary seats in Perlis in the recent general election.

“I think so,” he said to reporters when asked if Radzi was behind it.

He stopped to speak with reporters on his way to the Prime Minister’s Office to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi here yesterday.

Shahidan said he knew Radzi and Azmi were organising events to get wakil rakyat to meet Abdullah.

“However, Pak Lah chose me. It is not right to go against the party and the agreement,” he said, adding that no one should go against Abdullah’s decision.

“This is Barisan Nasional’s pride. If there is no respect for Barisan Nasional and Umno, who else will respect them?” he asked.

On the appointment of Dr Md Isa as the Mentri Besar, Shahidan said:

“I have been appointed as Mentri Besar by Barisan Nasional but it would seem that the decision had not been respected.

“This is a clear indication that the party, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and even the people’s decision have been disregarded.”

Later outside the Prime Minister’s residence Seri Perdana here, Shahidan said Barisan deputy chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would be meeting and ask the other wakil rakyat from Perlis to pledge their support to Shahidan.

He also said that the mentri besar's swearing-in ceremony would only take place after the matter was resolved.

Meanwhile, in Kangar, nine out of the 14 Barisan Nasional assemblymen in Perlis told the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail they wished for a change in the state leadership.

They unanimously suggested that Bintong assemblyman Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu head the state this time instead of Shahidan who has been the Mentri Besar since 1995, a source revealed. Fourteen out of the 15 state seats are held by Barisan. The other is held by PAS.

The source told The Star that the Raja of Perlis had asked Shahidan and nine other state assemblymen, including Dr Md Isa, to seek an audience with him yesterday.

It was learnt that Shahidan went alone instead. After meeting with Shahidan, the Raja of Perlis called the nine assemblymen to the palace.

Asked who should be the next mentri besar, eight of them chose Dr Md Isa, the source said. - STAR

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