Ahmad Said

Datuk Seri Ahmad Said (born 15 February 1957) was the thirteenth Menteri Besar of Terengganu since 2008 till 12 May 2014. He is currently a Barisan Nasional state assemblyman of Kijal, Terengganu. He is a member of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), who attempted a no-confidence motion against his successor during the recent Terengganu state assembly meeting but failed.

Profile

Ahmad Said is a political science graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia, and was elected an assemblyman in 1990. He has 8 children with both women. His two wives live a kilometre apart.^[1]

Menteri Besar of Terengganu

Following the 2008 Malaysian general election, Barisan Nasional managed to win a majority in the Terengganu state election garnering 24 out of 32 state seats on offer, with PAS winning the remaining 8 seats.

In the formation of the new Terengganu state government, the federal government under the then Prime Minister (PM) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi put forth the reappointment of Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh to a second term as Menteri Besar. Abdullah claimed Idris received full support of twenty-three of the 24 Barisan Nasional state assemblymen elected.^[2]

In what political analysts described as a possible constitutional crisis, trouble began to precipitate after the Sultan of Terengganu, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who was also then Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, refused to re-appoint and swear in Idris as Menteri Besar.^[3] Similar problems occurred in the state of Perlis where the PM's choice was also rejected and eventually the PM had to give in to the Raja of Perlis.^[4]

On 22 March 2008, the office of the Sultan of Terengganu announced the appointment of Kijal assemblyman Ahmad Said instead of Idris Jusoh.^[5]

The Prime Minister responded by saying that the appointment of Ahmad Said was "unconstitutional" as it went against the wishes of the assemblymen and the Prime Minister's office who have supported Idris Jusoh's candidacy for Menteri Besar.^[6][7] The 22 other BN assemblymen had also pledged their support toward the appointment of Idris Jusoh according to the then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.^[8]

In spite of threats to strip Ahmad Said of his UMNO membership "for disobeying the leadership", he went to the office in Wisma Darul Iman to begin the first day of his new appointment on 25 March 2008. Ahmad Said was subsequently stripped of his UMNO membership.^[9] This technically disqualified him from representing the state UMNO and therefore commanding the majority in the legislative assembly to be appointed as Menteri Besar in the first place.^[10]

The ruling party also planned to vote down the Sultan's choice through a motion of no-confidence by 22 UMNO state assemblymen. The opposition party Parti Islam SeMalaysia in the meantime promised that its assemblymen would support Ahmad Said as Menteri Besar.^[11]

On 26 March 2008, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin met at Istana Negara to resolve the impasse.^[12] The Prime Minister reversed his stance and decided to accept the King's appointment of Ahmad Said as Menteri Besar of Terengganu.^[13][14] He also apologised to the King for the public spat over the appointment of the Menteri Besar, explaining that there was no intention to disparage or humiliate the royal household. The apparent backdown was due to threat that the royal household would be prepared to dissolve the state assembly if the motion of no-confidence was initiated against Ahmad Said, which would trigger another election in what is already a climate of discontent towards the ruling party and the possibility of dissenting assemblymen defecting to the opposition.^[15][16]

The UMNO Supreme Council proceeded to endorse Ahmad Said as the new Menteri Besar of Terengganu. With the resolution of the impasse, Ahmad Said expressed his gratefulness over his appointment and paid tribute to Idris, an old friend he has known since university, for the work he has done for the Terengganu people so far and to seek his advice. After the swearing in ceremony, he also expressed hope in moving on to discharge his responsibility to the people and eradicate poverty within the state.^[17][18]

He resigned as Menteri Besar on 12 May 2014 making way for Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman, an assemblyman from Seberang Takir.^[19][20] This was made as an agreement with the Prime Minister, Najib Razak that he will step down after a year in his second term.^[21] He, however, did not step down without another controversy (or crisis during his appointment). He and Ajil assemblyman, Ghazali Taib, followed by Bukit Besi assemblyman, Roslee Daud,^[22] quit UMNO, the ruling party in Terengganu and have caused the state to have a minority ruling government Barisan Nasional (14 state assemblyman) and a majority opposition Pakatan Rakyat (15 state assemblyman) with 3 independent assemblyman for the first time in Malaysia's history.^[23][24] This is because he felt slighted when Najib Razak rejected his proposal to quit after his daughter's wedding reception.^[25] However, all three then revoked their decision and returned to UMNO.^[26] He later on pledged to give his full support to the new MB.^[27]

References