States get new governments

KUALA LUMPUR: A new Malaysia, that is the public perception of the country after the results of the 14th General Election (GE14) show that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) received the mandate to form the Federal Government and helming five state governments.
The victory gained by Pakatan Harapan, a coalition of four opposition political parties (previously) ended the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration of 60 years, thus creating an important national history which attracted the world's attention.
The GE14 witnessed the Pakatan Harapan helming Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, and Johor; while the BN dominated in Perlis, Pahang and Sabah; PAS in Kelantan and Terengganu while the governments for Perak and Kedah had yet to be ascertained following the hung position of the State Legislative Assemblies in these two states.
The 93-year-old former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, created world history when he took the oath of office as the prime minister for the second time and became Malaysia's seventh prime minister before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara tonight.
Malaysians throughout the country followed the event closely in high spirits, wanting to know the development in the country's political landscape and curious to know who would lead the government in Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor; Pahang and Perlis and likewise in Perak and Kedah which were still drawing up the formation of the government.
So far, only Kelantan has a head of government after the Kelantan PAS Commissioner Datuk Ahmad Yakob took the oath as Mentri Besar for the second term following the mandate given by the people of the state to PAS, which won 37 of the 45 State Assembly seats to continue administering the state. The remaining eight seats were won by BN.
In Terengganu, where PAS obtained 21 of the 32 state legislative assembly seats, the appointment and swearing-in of Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar as the Mentri Besar and the new Exco members took place at Istana Syarqiyyah, Kuala Terengganu tonight.
In Sabah, two members of Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Solidariti) merged with BN, which obtained 29 seats, to set up the Sabah state government raising the number of seats to 31 Assemblymen.
Sabah BN chairman Tan Sri Musa Aman was scheduled to take his oath of office before the Sabah Yang Dipertua Negri tonight.
In Selangor, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali would be sworn in as the Selangor Mentri Besar at Istana Alam Shah tomorrow.
The Pakatan Harapan government helmed by PKR won 51 of the 56 state seats while the BN obtained four and PAS only managed to win one seat.
Three other states that gave their mandate to Pakatan Harapan – Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor – were still waiting for the approval of the respective state governments to take their oaths of office as Mentri Besar and Chief Minister.
For the Penang government helmed by the DAP, the swearing in ceremony is scheduled for May 14.
For Kedah and Perak where the positions of the State Assemblies are hung, it is still uncertain which party would form the government.
In Kedah, out of the 36 state constituencies contested, the PKR won 18 seats, PAS (15) and BN (three), while in Perak, PKR won 29 seats, BN (27) and PAS (three) out of the total of 59 State Assembly seats.
For the PKR, it needs at least one more State Assembly seat to form the government with a simple majority in Perak and Kedah.
Two more states namely Perlis and Pahang, where the state governments remained with the BN, the swearing in ceremony would be carried out after obtaining the consent from the istana in the near future.
The BN in Pahang will form the state government with a simple majority after winning 25 of the 42 State Legislative Assembly seats while PAS won eight, and Pakatan Harapan (nine). BN Perlis won 10 of the 15 State Legislative Assembly seats. — Bernama