Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar of PAS said today the people need a Kedah menteri besar operating from Wisma Darulaman and not from Penang Hospital.

Mahfuz said this in reference to Kedah Menteri Besar Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, who yesterday chaired the exco meeting from Penang Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.

Mahfuz (photo) said he wished the best for Ahmad Bashah and prayed for his family in this difficult time, but added that the people need to know that the Kedah government could still function properly.

"The people of Kedah would like an explanation from the hospital on the latest situation on Ahmad Bashah's health and physical capabilities.

"How much longer does Ahmad Bashah need to spend in the hospital and how much longer will the Kedah government have to operate from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward in Penang Hospital?

"This is important for the people of Kedah as they want the state govetnment to run well under the leadership of a menteri besar operating from Wisma Darulaman and not the ICU ward of a hospital," Mahfuz said in a statement.

He said the people also wanted to know when Ahmad Bashah would be discharged from the hospital, and how long it would take before he could return to full duty.

"I sympathise with Ahmad Bahshah's health problems but the interest of the state and people must come first," he said.

If necessary, Mahfuz said, the state palace should consider the need for an acting Kedah menteri besar while Ahmad Bahshah undergoes treatment.

He said the people wanted to know the agenda of the exco meeting operating from Penang Hospital, and how it would improve their lives.

"The people are waiting for the government's plan to get them out of the ICU ward of Umno and BN, where they have suffered for a long time," he said.

Ahmad Bashah collapsed during an Umno meeting on June 4 and was admitted to Kedah Medical Centre on the same day.

He was later transferred to Penang Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for intestinal problems.