Kedah Regency Council will meet opposition leaders today

ALOR STAR: An air of suspense hangs over Kedah as the state awaits an announcement on the mentri besar issue.
The Kedah Regency Council will meet state opposition assemblymen on Tuesday at 2.30pm, on the matter, said Pokok Sena MP and state PAS commissioner Datuk Mahfuz Omar.
He expressed his hope the opposition will keep Mukhriz as head of the Kedah government.
“PAS members are having a meeting so a stand can be declared tomorrow (Feb 1), I have expressed my hope Mukhriz be retained,” he said in a press conference after attending a football friendly between Kedah FA and Sungai Ara FC
Today, members of the Regency Council met Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen, but the result of the deliberations is still unknown.
Bakar Bata assemblyman and state Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Basha Md Hanipah said there is no decision yet.
“There were two or three questions asked,” he said but declined to elaborate further when asked by reporters as he was leaving Wisma Darul Aman.
It is learnt that Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir was the last person granted an audience with the council which met with 21 BN assemblymen and State Legislature Speaker Datuk Md Rozai Safian between 3pm and 5.20pm.
Mukhriz is in a political firefight after 14 Umno divisions claimed to have lost confidence in his leadership.
Both Ahmad Basha and Ku Abd Rahman are strongly talked about as possible replacements for Mukhriz.
Also in the running as potential replacements are Deputy Speaker Datuk Azmi Che Hussin and Ayer Hangat assemblyman Datuk Mohd Rawi Abdul Hamid.
The meeting was supposedly for the Kedah Regency Council, headed by chairman Tunku Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, to evaluate the situation as well as determine an acceptable successor if the mentri besar is to be replaced.
However, some news portals have reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has told Kedah assemblymen that it is all a formality.
Quoting sources, the Malaysian Insider reported that Najib, who is Umno president, had called the assemblymen to tell them he has already received the consent of the palace to replace Mukhriz.
“The letter from the Kedah Sultan has been received and Najib has announced to the Regency Council the person to replace Mukhriz,” added the souce.
“He did not announce the name of the new mentri besar ... he just hoped that all of us would accept the decision,” the source was quoted as saying.
This seems to be collaborated by Kedah Education, Transport and Education Committee chairman Datuk Tajul Urus Mat Zain who spoke to reporters on arrival at the Sultan Abdul Halim Airport today.
“I think there will definitely be a change in MB,” he said, adding that Umno leaders were doing what was good for the state and party.
He declined to say much about the Kedah Royal House’s purported unhappiness over the matter and ended that line of questioning with a “no comment”.
He also urged Umno members to maintain party discipline after some branch chiefs objected to replacing Mukhriz.
Meanwhile, when met at the airport, Ahmad Bashah said he looked forward to the crisis ending soon.
“We will accept whatever decision the PM makes,” he added.