IPOH:Any announcement on the new Menteri Besar of Perak will only be made by the Palace.

UMNO President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi informed the matter after an audience with the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah at Istana Kinta, here, at about 10.30 this morning.

"I have been granted an audience by DYMM Paduka Seri Sultan of Perak and present a letter requesting consent to consider the candidate for Menteri Besar of Perak.

"The announcement on the name of the MB candidate will be made by His Highness himself and any statement after this will be issued by the Palace.

"Let Tuanku himself issue a notification through any statement.

"I uphold Tuanku's order that the right to nominate is the right of UMNO and BN but it is the absolute right of His Highness to announce the candidate and the Palace will make the notification," he told reporters.

Asked if the candidate submitted has a majority, Ahmad Zahid said he was confident that the majority of support was more than enough.

He also announced that UMNO will remain in cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN).

"I have stated that we will defend working together in PN as much as possible and the cooperation of this government is between UMNO, Bersatu and PAS,” he said.