Amar confirms Kelantan MB refuses to retain post

KOTA BHARU - Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Abdullah confirms that Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob declines to be appointed to the post if Perikatan Nasional (PN) wins the state poll.

He said that Ahmad had previously asked Pas leadership not to contest.

"During the previous election, he asked not to contest, but Pas president (Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang) felt that he needed to be there to lead the state.

"Only this time, he asked relentlessly and the president took his preparation and age factor into consideration," he told reporters after voting at Sekolah Kebangsaan Panji here.

When asked about the possibility that his name would no longer be listed as Deputy Menteri Besar, Amar said that he did not find it a problem.

"I used to come empty-handed. If there is nothing (not listed), I will return as an assemblyman. No problem," he said.

However, Amar admitted that he would accept the party's decision if he were still required to hold the important position.

"I will accept if that is the decision. Before this, I did not ask for it," he said.

In the meantime, he said that the Menteri besar position was determined by the party before being submitted for approval from the palace.

"The president will decide and usually, it will not be revealed. The name for menteri besar will be given to the commissioner before being sent to the palace," he said.

He also agreed with the combination of technocrats proposed by Takiyuddin during a meeting on Thursday.

"Previously, our leadership was combined especially in the Exco and some of them were not scholars. That has become our practice," he said.