Ahmad to start work as Mentri Besar...

Ahmad Said who has been appointed Mentri Besar by the Palace is starting work today at Wisma Darul Iman.

He said he will be at his office at 8am to officially assume his role as the legitimate Mentri Besar of Terengganu.

Ahmad said his appointment as Mentri Besar - which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi described as unconstitutional - was in accordance with the state’s laws and that he does not need to be sworn in for the post.

The Kijal state assemblyman said that the appointment letter bestowed to him on Sunday by the Regency Advisory Council was testament to this.

At his family home at Kampung Teluk Kalung, Kijal, Ahmad told a packed press conference yesterday that his swearing-in would be decided at a later date.

Earlier, Ahmad said that he was no traitor to Umno as he had worked tirelessly for the party and nobody should doubt his loyalty (to Umno).

He said the crisis might have arisen due to a misunderstanding and he hoped that the Umno top leadership would be patient and view the serious issue in the best way.

"As a party member, I know the rules. So we need to be patient in finding a solution. It's easy to sack someone but you know better the repercussions."

It is understood that he had just returned from Kuala Lumpur after being granted an audience by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.

The Kemaman Umno division chief said he had no intention of dividing or destroying Umno.

The star has the story here and Bernama, here.