By MAZWIN NIK ANIS

mazwin@thestar.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim looked a dejected man yesterday.

The usually confident and friendly three-term Perlis mentri besar, who is currently embroiled in a tussle over the state leadership, was not his usual self when leaving the Prime Minister's office at Bangunan Perdana Putra here.

With his body hunched, head bowed and a hand partially covering his face, Shahidan did not stop to talk to reporters after his two-hour meeting with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The 57-year-old Tambun Tulang assemblyman and his wife Datin Seri Shamsiah Mohd Yassin sped off when they noticed reporters outside the building.

The tug-of-war for the mentri besar's job came when the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail, announced that Datuk Dr Md Isa Sabu was his choice for the state's top job while Shahidan was given a letter from Abdullah recommending him for the post.

It is learnt that he headed back to Perlis from Putrajaya to make arrangements to move out of the mentri besar’s official residence in Jalan Kolam in Kangar yesterday, SIRA HABIBU reported.