ALOR SETAR: Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir yesterday began his duty as the Kedah menteri besar at Wisma Darul Aman here at 9am.
Mukhriz, 49, who is also Ayer Hitam state assemblyman, replaced Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak of PAS after the Barisan Nasional (BN) recaptured the state on a simple majority, 21 of the 36 seats.
His arrival at Wisma Darul Aman in a black suit at 8.45am, was received by Kedah State Secretary (SUK) Datuk Rasli Basir, the menteri besar’s senior confidential secretary, Helmi Yahya, and staff from the menteri besar’s office.
Mukhriz was given a 30-minute briefing by Rasli on the third floor of Wisma Darul Aman, his new office.
The new menteri besar quipped: “Now, the top of the table is empty, (but) in two weeks, it will be heavy with files”.
He also visited the meeting room of the state assembly.
Mukhriz, a former student of Mara Junior Science College, Kota Baharu, obtained a degree in business administration from Sophia University, Japan in 1982, and international marketing from Boston University, five years later.
He won the Jerlun parliamentary seat in the 12th General Election in 2008 and was appointed international trade and industry deputy minister.
In early 2011, Mukhriz was appointed Kedah Umno liaison committee deputy chairman and Kedah BN deputy chairman.
At the 13th General Election, Mukhriz won the Ayer Hitam state seat after beating Abd Ghani Ahmad of PAS with a majority of 2,446 votes. — Bernama