IPOH: Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad demanded big positions including the Mentri Besar post from Perikatan Nasional in order to form a state government, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
The Perak Perikatan Nasional chairman said he had met the newly sworn-in Mentri Besar on Nov 20 in Kuala Lumpur along with Perak Perikatan secretary Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin.
“We talked about the possibility of having a coalition between Barisan and Perikatan,” he said in a statement on Monday (Nov 21).
Ahmad Faizal, who is also Bersatu deputy president, said Saarani wanted to be the Mentri Besar.
“I addressed my concern that Perak is in need of a stable government, especially since the state has yet to table its budget.
“Perikatan was willing to work with Barisan but Saarani kept demanding the big state positions.
“He told us that he would check with his party first, but apparently, today he took the oath as Mentri Besar,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, Saarani who is also Perak Umno chairman, took the oath as the 15th Mentri Besar in front of Sultan Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar.