ILLEGAL PERAK MB HOLDS 8 PORTFOLIOS WITH 3 EXCO-PAID ADVISORS

NEW PERAK EXCO

Mentri Besar (ILLEGAL) Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir

Eight (8) portfolios: Planning, Economy, Finance, Security, Land and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Housing and Religion.

Hamidah Osman (only woman exco)
Six portfolios: Industry, Investment, Entrepreneur Development, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Tourism and Women’s Affairs.

Dr Mah Hang Soon

Six portfolios: Health, Local Government, Consumer, Environment, Transport and Non-Islamic Affairs.

Datuk Saarani Mohamad

Five portfolios: Information, Rural Development, Poverty, Welfare and Farming.

Datuk Ramly Zahari

Four portfolios: Infrastructure, Public Facilities, Energy and Water.

Mohd Zahir Abdul Khalid

Three portfolios: Education, Higher Education, Science and Technology

Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin

Two portfolios: Arts and Culture, Youth and Sports.

New Perak MB takes 8 portfolios



New Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir today assigned portfolios to his six executive council members, deciding to shoulder the heaviest burden of eight portfolios that include land, finance and security.

He also appointed three advisors, with the status of exco members, from Umno, Gerakan and MIC to handle Islamic, Chinese and Indian affairs respectively.

The three are Datuk Mohd Najumuddin Elias (Islamic affairs), Datuk Chang Ko Youn (Chinese affairs) and Datuk S. Veerasingam (Indian affairs).

This move is to ensures that all the three main races are well represented in his efforts to unite Perakians under the Barisan Nasional banner.

It is also designed to involve Gerakan and MIC in the state government in the BN spirit of power sharing, as their candidates had lost their state seats to Pakatan Rakyat in the March 8 general election.

Incidentally, former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaludiin had done the same thing during his tenure of 11 months in office.

However, the difference between the two appointments is that the three advisors to Zambry will receive perks similar to those received by the exco members.

Also appointed by Zambry was Datuk Hamidi Abu Bakar as state information chief.

In announcing the portfolios at his first press conference at the State Secretariat today, Zambry also fielded questions and was seen to be defensive at times.

"There is no time for celebrations (in regaining control of the state) and our commitment is geared towards public service," he said.

Asked whether BN will continue the public projects that the PR had initiated, Zambry said: "There is no such thing as Pakatan Rakyat projects or Barisan Nasional projects. It is only public projects that we will implement. Actually the PR had been continuing what BN state government had implemented."

When asked whether he will call for an emergency meeting of the State Assembly to put Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to a test of confidence, he evaded a straight answer by quipping: "We have six months to call for the sitting of the state assembly."

When a reported pointed out that he was not elected as Mentri Besar, he snapped back: "What do you mean? This is a democratic process!"

When asked when he will go to his ‘White House’ (meaning Mentri Besar’s official residence), he said: "White house? I thought it was Green House (meaning PAS)."

On the suit to be filed by Nizar in the High Court today (Thursday) to challenge his authority as Mentri Besar, Zambry said "It is their right to seek legal address if they are not satisfied (with the change in the state government)."

When asked why there is no Indian representation is his new BN executive councillors’ team, he said: "We have to find a suitable candidate that can work with the Indian community in the state. I will come to this later when I announce the names of the new exco line-up."

On why there were only six exco members named, he said: "It is the quality of the exco that counts, not the quantity. The law calls for a minimum of four and a maximum of 10 exco members. We will adjust the exco line-up accordingly when there is a call for it."

There was a heavier security by police inside and outside the secretariat yesterday when compared to Tuesday.

Humayun Kabir/ sun2surf