Umno will leave it entirely to its Kedah chapter to solve the stalemate over the election of the speaker of the state assembly, which has an equal number of Pakatan Harapan and opposition seats.

Umno acting president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Umno was open for discussion, but the Kedah Umno stand on the matter must be respected by all.

“I have held discussions with Kedah Umno chairperson Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah and two state assemblymen, and we will come to a good decision in the common interest,” he said after attending the state chapter's Aidilfitri open house in Alor Setar today.

Zahid said Umno did not dismiss the possibility of fresh state elections in Kedah if the stalemate over the speaker’s election remained unresolved.

Harapan, which has formed the government in Kedah, has 18 seats in the assembly, BN 15 and PAS three.

Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir was reported to have said he would have discussions with Umno and PAS to resolve the issue before the state assembly convenes early next month.

He said today, however, that the Harapan state government could not accept a PAS-proposed candidate for speaker, because the individual was not an assemblyperson and that would leave the opposition with 19 seats compared to Harapan’s 18.

- Bernama