Menteri Besar of Terengganu

The Menteri Besar of Terengganu or First Minister of Terengganu is the head of government in the Malaysian state of Terengganu. According to convention, the Menteri Besar is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly.

Menteri Besar of Terengganu
since 10 May 2018
Government of Terengganu
StyleYang Amat Berhormat (The Most Honourable)
Member ofTerengganu State Executive Council
Reports toTerengganu State Legislative Assembly
ResidenceJalan Batu Buruk, Kampung Batu Buruk, 20400 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
SeatTingkat 16, Wisma Darul Iman, 20502 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
AppointerMizan Zainal Abidin
Sultan of Terengganu
Term length5 years or lesser, renewable once (while commanding the confidence of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly
With State Elections held no more than five years apart)
Inaugural holderNgah Muhamad Yusof
Formation21 April 1925; 99 years ago (1925-04-21)
DeputyVacant
Websitepmb.terengganu.gov.my

The 15th and current Menteri Besar of Terengganu is Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who took office on 10 May 2018.

Appointment

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According to the state constitution, the Sultan of Terengganu shall first appoint the Menteri Besar to preside over the Executive Council and requires such Menteri Besar to be a member of the Legislative Assembly who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly, must be an ethnic Malay who professes the religion of Islam, and must not be a Malaysian citizen by naturalisation or by registration. The Sultan on the Menteri Besar's advice shall appoint not more than ten nor less than four members from among the members of the Legislative Assembly.

The member of the Executive Council must take and subscribe in the presence of the Sultan the oath of office and allegiance as well as the oath of secrecy before they can exercise the functions of office. The Executive Council shall be collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly. The members of the Executive Council shall not hold any office of profit and engage in any trade, business or profession that will cause a conflict of interest.

If a government cannot get its appropriation (budget) legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, or the Legislative Assembly passes a vote of "no confidence" in the government, the Menteri Besar is bound by convention to resign immediately. The Sultan's choice of replacement Menteri Besar will be dictated by the circumstances. A member of the Executive Council other than the Menteri Besar shall hold office during the pleasure of the Sultan, unless the appointment of any member of the Executive Council shall have been revoked by the Sultan on the advice of the Menteri Besar, but may at any time resign his office.

Following a resignation in other circumstances, defeat in an election or the death of the Menteri Besar, the Sultan will generally appoint as Menteri Besar the person voted by the governing party as their new leader.

Powers

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The power of the Menteri Besar is subject to a number of limitations. A Menteri Besar removed as leader of his or her party, or whose government loses a vote of no confidence in the Legislative Assembly, must advise a state election or resign the office or be dismissed by the Sultan. The defeat of a supply bill (one that concerns the spending of money) or inability to pass important policy-related legislation is seen to require the resignation of the government or dissolution of Legislative Assembly, much like a non-confidence vote, since a government that cannot spend money is hamstrung, a condition called loss of supply.

The Menteri Besar's party will normally have a majority in the Legislative Assembly and party discipline is exceptionally strong in Terengganu politics, so passage of the government's legislation through the Legislative Assembly is mostly a formality.

Caretaker Menteri Besar

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The Legislative Assembly, unless sooner dissolved by the Sultan with His Majesty's own discretion on the advice of the Menteri Besar, shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting. The state constitution permits a delay of 60 days from the date of dissolution for a general election to be held, and the legislative assembly shall be summoned to meet on a date not later than 120 days from the date of dissolution. Conventionally, between the dissolution of one legislative assembly and the convening of the next, the Menteri Besar and the Executive Council remain in office in a caretaker capacity.

List of Menteris Besar of Terengganu

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The following is the list of Menteris Besar of Terengganu since 1925:[1]

Colour key (for political parties):
  Independent   Barisan Alternatif   Alliance/BN   PMIP/Gagasan Sejahtera   PN

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Constituency
Term of office Party[a] Election Assembly
Took office Left office Time in office
1   Ngah Muhamad Yusof
(1878–1940)
21 April
1925
28 June
1940
15 years, 69 days Independent
2   Tengku Omar Othman
(1884–1944)
15 July
1940
9 December
1941
1 year, 148 days Independent
3   Da Omar Mahmud
(1892–1953)
10 December
1941
16 December
1945
4 years, 7 days Independent
4   Tengku Mohamad Sultan Ahmad
(1899–1957)
17 December
1945
26 December
1949
4 years, 10 days Independent
5   Kamaruddin Idris
(1904–1993)
27 December
1949
June
1959
Independent
6   Mohd Daud Abdul Samad
MLA for Setiu
(1925–1983)
29 June
1959
8 November
1961
2 years, 133 days PMIP 1959 1st
7   Ibrahim Fikri Mohammad
MLA for Kuala Nerus
(died 1973)
9 November
1961
3 September
1969
7 years, 299 days Alliance
(UMNO)
1964 2nd
1969 3rd
8   Mahmood Sulaiman
(born 1929)
MLA for Ulu Trengganu Barat
1 October
1969
3 September
1972
2 years, 339 days Alliance
(UMNO)
9   Nik Hassan Wan Abdul Rahman
(born 1927)
MLA for Batu Rakit
4 September
1972
2 August
1974
1 year, 333 days Alliance
(UMNO)
BN
(UMNO)
10   Tan Sri Dato' Seri
Wan Mokhtar Ahmad
(1932–2020)
MLA for Cukai
1 September
1974
2 December
1999
25 years, 93 days BN
(UMNO)
1974 4th
1978 5th
1982 6th
1986 7th
1990 8th
1995 9th
11   Tan Sri Dato' Seri
Abdul Hadi Awang
(born 1947)
MLA for Ru Rendang
2 December
1999
25 March
2004
4 years, 115 days BA
(PAS)
1999 10th
12   Tan Sri Dato' Seri
Idris Jusoh
(born 1955)
MLA for Jertih
25 March
2004
25 March
2008
4 years, 0 days BN
(UMNO)
2004 11th
13   Dato' Seri
Ahmad Said
(born 1957)
MLA for Kijal
25 March
2008
12 May
2014
6 years, 49 days BN
(UMNO)
2008 12th
2013 13th
14   Dato' Seri
Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman
(born 1965)
MLA for Seberang Takir
13 May
2014
10 May
2018
3 years, 363 days BN
(UMNO)
15   Dato' Seri
Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar
(born 1970)
MLA for Ru Rendang
10 May
2018
Incumbent 6 years, 198 days GS
(PAS)
2018 14th
PN
(PAS)
2023 15th
  1. ^ This column names only the Menteri Besar's party. The state government he heads may be a complex coalition of several parties and independents; those are not listed here.

References

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  1. ^ "Terengganu". WorldStatesmen.org. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
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