KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Hasni Mohammad has been sworn in as the state's 18th Menteri Besar.
According to Bernama, the swearing-in ceremony took place at Istana Bukit Serene today.
Also present was Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
Hasni, 61, is also Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and state Umno liaison committee chief.
He replaces Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) who was appointed as the 17th Johor Menteri Besar on April 14, 2019.
On Wednesday, Sultan Ibrahim met with 54 out of the 56 Johor state assemblymen to find out who they supported to form the new government, following Bersatu’s departure from Pakatan Harapan (PH) two days before that.
Bersatu’s departure from PH effectively re-alligned the political divide in the 56-seat Johor state legislative assembly and it led PH to have 28 assemblymen, while the other group comprising those from Umno, Bersatu, Pas and MIC having 28 assemblymen, thus creasting a hung state legislative assembly. That was when Sultan Ibrahim had to hold interviews with the assemblymen to resolve the political impasse.
Hasni is the third Johor Menteri Besar to be appointed in a span of almost three years since the 14th General Election (GE14).