IPOH: Perak Umno chairman Saarani Mohamad and former menteri besar Zambry Abd Kadir have been called for an audience with the Perak Sultan, Sultan Nazrin Shah.

They will be meeting the Sultan this evening.

Earlier, Bernama reported that PAS had called off their assemblymen’s audience with Sultan Nazrin following a directive from the party’s central leadership.

Sultan Nazrin had wanted to meet PAS and PPBM assemblymen at 3pm today to state their support for Umno’s candidate for the menteri besar and to form the new government.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Kota Tampan assemblyman Saarani Mohamad had an audience with the Sultan earlier this morning, with the former claiming that the party’s menteri besar candidate had sufficient support to form the new government.

He claimed PAS and PPBM had agreed to back Umno’s candidate for menteri besar and to form the government, although he declined to reveal the name of the nominee. However, the decision by PAS to not attend the audience with the Sultan plunged the menteri besar position back into uncertainty.

Speculation is rife that Saarani had been nominated for the post by the Umno leadership.