Shahidan suffers minor stroke

KANGAR: Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim suffered a minor stroke a few days ago and is currently recuperating at his home in Jejawi here.
Shahidan, 66, was believed to have suffered the symptoms of a minor stroke while he was recuperating from a weakness in his limbs.
The Perlis Umno chief was the longest serving mentri besar in the country's smallest state from 1995 until 2008 before he contested in the Arau parliament seat and won.
He was subsequently appointed as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department by former premier Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
Shahidan's health woes began as the state was engulfed in a political crisis after the state Umno had rejected the choice of Bintong assemblyman Datuk Seri Azlan Man as the state's eighth mentri besar.
Earlier, Shahidan had suggested his brother Datuk Ismail Kassim, the Tambun Tulang assemblyman as the party's preferred candidate for the post on grounds that Azlan does not consult with the party.
The rejection of his brother, and Shahidan's subsequent move to call for Umno to sack Azlan, led to an impasse in the state for close to 30 days.
The issue has now come to a close when the eight Umno backbenchers decided to throw their support behind Azlan after meeting the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Syed Jamalullail.
But Perlis Umno secretary Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said that Perlis Umno may decide to push for a vote of no-confidence in the upcoming sitting of the state legislative assembly, as they remained sore over Azlan's insistence on taking up the mentri besar post although he does not command the majority support from the Umno assemblymen.