IPOH, Nov 21 — Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has been re-appointed as the Menteri Besar of Perak following the state election held concurrently with the 15th general election on November 19.
Saarani, 61, who is the Kota Tampan state assemblyman, took the oath of office before Sultan Nazrin Shah at 5.40pm at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar.
The nomination of the Perak Umno Liaison Body chairman as the Menteri Besar was agreed upon by Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) after the two political coalitions agreed to work together to form the state government.
Born on March 13, 1961, in Kampung Raban, Lenggong, Saarani began his career as a teacher in 1982 after completing his Diploma in Science and Education (Physics and Mathematics) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
The holder of a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours (Human Resource Management) from Open University Malaysia (OUM) joined Umno in 1989 and became the Lenggong assemblyman from 1999 to 2004.
When PH ruled Perak after GE14 in 2018, Saarani was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the Perak State Assembly, but the ‘status’ did not last long after PH fell, and Perikatan Nasional (PN) consisting of Umno, Bersatu and PAS assemblymen, took over the government.
Saarani has also held several portfolios in the Perak State Government, including as chairman of the Rural Development and Plantation Committee; chairman of the Information and Human Capital Development Committee; and chairman of the Rural Development, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Committee.
The list of other Menteri Besars who have governed the state are Datuk Seri Abdul Wahab Toh Muda Abdul Aziz (1948 – 1957); Tan Sri Mohamed Ghazali Jawi (1957 – 1960); Datuk Seri Shaari Shafie (1960 – 1964); Datuk Seri Ahmad Said (1964 – 1970).
Datuk Seri Kamaruddin Mohd Isa (1970 – 1974); before Mohamed Ghazali was again appointed for four years from 1974 to 1977; Datuk Seri Wan Mohamed Wan Teh (1977 – 1983), Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib (1983 – 1999); Tan Sri Mohd Tajol Rosli Mohd Ghazali (1999 – 2008); Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (2008 – 2009), Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir (2009 – 2018) and Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu (2018 – 2020).
— Bernama
