IPOH:Two assemblymen from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), two from PAS and one from Barisan Nasional (BN) were sworn in today as Perak state executive councillors, completing the 10-member line-up in the state Exco.

The five, who had all served in the previous administration, are Datuk Abdul Yunus Jamahri (Bersatu-Kuala Kurau), Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi (Bersatu-Tualang Sekah), Razman Zakaria (PAS-Gunung Semanggol), Mohd Akmal Kamaruddin (PAS-Selama) and Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud (BN-Changkat Jering).

They took their oath of office before Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah in a brief ceremony at Istana Kinta here at 5 pm.

Apart from new Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad, the others present at the ceremony were State Secretary Datuk Ahmad Suadi Abdul Rahim and Ipoh High Court Chief Judge Datuk Hisham Hashim.

On Dec 10, five Exco members had been sworn in at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar. Saarani was also sworn in before Sultan Nazrin on the same day.

Four of the Exco members - Datuk Zolkafly Harun (BN-Lintang), Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya (BN-Rungkup), Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin (BN-Kampung Gajah) and Khairul Shahril Mohamed (BN-Bota) - had served in the previous administration while Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin (Bersatu-Sungai Manik) is a new face.

The previous Perak Exco was disbanded after Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu resigned as the Menteri Besar on Dec 5 following his defeat in a vote of confidence in the State Legislative Assembly a day earlier.

In the confidence motion tabled by Datuk Abd Manap Hashim (BN-Pengkalan Baru), Ahmad Faizal, the Chenderiang assemblyman, obtained only 10 votes in support and 48 against his leadership, with one abstention.

The Perak state assembly has 59 representatives - 25 from BN, all UMNO; 16 from DAP; five from Amanah; five from Bersatu; three from PKR; three from PAS; and one each from Gerakan and Independent.

Earlier today, Perak Dewan Negara member Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini told reporters outside Istana Kinta that Sultan Nazrin had consented to the swearing in of five more Exco members today, as the Perak State Assembly sitting would resume tomorrow with the tabling of the state 2021 Budget.

He said it would be a brief ceremony because the state was still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

-- BERNAMA