Kedah State Assembly Speaker impasse over

ALOR STAR: The impasse on the choice of Speaker for the Kedah State Assembly is finally over after the state government nominee Datuk Ahmad Kassim was elected to the post at the first meeting of the assembly today since the new state government was formed following the 14th General Election.
The former Kuala Kedah MP secured 21 votes while another nominee, state PAS commissioner Dr Ahmad Fakhruddin Sheikh Fakhrurazi, polled 15 votes
Ahmad, 55, was a one-term MP for Kuala Kedah. He won the seat in the 2008 general election where his opponent was Hashim Jahaya from Barisan Nasional.
Earlier, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir had nominated Ahmad and was seconded by Pengkalan Kundor assemblyman Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh.
The impasse came about because both the state government and the opposition had the same number of seats – 18.
It is understood that three Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen namely Datuk Dr Ku Abdul Rahman Ku Ismail (Guar Chempedak), Datuk Norsabrina Mohd Noor (Bandar Baru) and Datuk Suraya Yaacob (Sungai Tiang) were the kingmakers in ending the impasse, that is supporting the government's candidate.
The breakdown in the assembly is as follows- Pakatan Harapan (18), PAS (15) and BN (three).
Due to the hung situation, there could have been a snap election in the state if the Speaker issue had not been resolved.
Kedah Pakatan Harapan unseated Kedah Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election on May 9. Pakatan Harapan is also in power at the federal level. — Bernama