Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Azmin must resign now..so Selangor can have NEW Menteri Besar and start functioning effectively?

Selangor still has no new Menteri Besar, after current MB  Mohamed Azmin Ali decided to take up the appointment of Minister of Economic Affairs. It is unreasonable or practical, for Azmin who is also a MP and an ADUN to also continue being Menteri Besar and a Cabinet Minister ...

As Pakatan Harapan PM and new Cabinet is working hard and speedily...the current status of Azmin Ali is causing much problems. Azmin, who is now in charge of a very important Ministry, obviously still cannot devote his full time and energy to his new duties as MINISTER...Oh yes, Azmin could have declined the Cabinet post and continued as Menteri Besar...but he chose to be a Cabinet Minister, and no more be the Menteri Besar of Selangor..

Now, a Menteri Besar is imprortant - because it is the MB that ultimately chooses the team who will help him in the governing of Selangor...the State Executive Committee.

Will the new Selangor Menteri Besar want the same team that Azmin has chosen as the State Executive Committee?...or will he want to make some changes? That is why Selangor needs to immediately get the NEW Menteri Besar...who may confirm the State Executive Committee...or even make changes....

Like the Prime Minister, the Menteri Besar has the ultimate right of choice of the State cabinet...

Why is it taking so long? Azmin should just resign as MB ...and a new MB, who enjoys the confidence of the majority of the Selangor ADUNs should be speedily appointed...The best ADUN should be chosen irrespective if he/she may come from another Pakatan Harapan component party - but note the Selangor Constitution still provides that the Menteri Besar must be a Malay and a Muslim(something not consistent with our Federal Constitution - where the only requirement is the 'confidence of the majority' of the MPs). I had hoped that Selangor, under Pakatan Rakyat, who had the requisite two third majority would have amended the State constitution to remove the ethnic/religious requirement to be Menteri Besar - but alas, they were not as progressive as I expected. 

Thanks to this 'ethnicity/religious' requirement the most qualified ADUN to be the BEST Menteri Besar possible will not get the chance to do so...

Experience of being MB - that is irrelevant because so many with no previous experience have become MBs and Chief Ministers. Azmin too had no experience of being MB before he was chosen to be MB?

Without Azmin resigning ...no new Menteri Besar can be appointed. Is Azmin delaying to be able to place 'his' choice as Menteri Besar - well, it is really the choice of the Pakatan Harapan ADUNs who will choose the best person to be next Menteri Besar, not Azmin's?

Is Azmin hanging on just to put in place his chosen 'political appointees' in place as Local Councillors, JKKK and maybe even in State owned GLCs and other GLCs? I really do not understand why Azmin's not immediately resigning as Menteri Besar ...and focusing his time and effort in his very important Federal Ministry?

How fast after the results of the GE were announced, that MBs and even the Prime Minister appointed? 

Azmin has been using the 'Sultan' as a reason for his delay in resigning as MB - but really, Selangor is a constitutional democracy - where the royalty has little power in determining who is the Menteri Besar - and the most important factor is 'confidence of the majority' of the ADUNs. 

The Sultan will then listen to the advice of the Menteri Besar in the appointment of the State Exco - but in Selangor, the Exco has apparently been appointed but then their portfolios and responsibilities seem to have yet to be determined? Anyway, this appointment and portfolio will now have to depend on what the NEW Menteri Besar wants or does?

Pakatan Harapan will have a discussion about who should be their candidates in State Exco, but ultimately it is(and must be) the Menteri Besar who has the final decision....Because ultimately the failures or the successes of the State of Selangor will all be on the Menteri Besar...Wrong to force any MB to appoint a person not of his/her chosing as a member of the 'State Cabinet'...

A new Selangor Menteri Besar will have the right to change the State Exco, and also the portfolios...

Hence, the faster Selangor has its new Menteri Besar, the better ...until then, all work stagnates...and Exco members also will find it difficult to start working (as the worry is always that they may no longer be Exco after the new MB is appointed, or maybe their portfolios/responsibilities may change).

As mentioned, Azmin should immediately RESIGN ...and focus on his job as Federal Minister...

Alternatively, Azmin should just resign as Federal Minisiter, and continue on as Menteri Besar of Selangor...

He cannot hold on to both positions...because, if he does so, Selangor and Malaysia both suffers... 

Azmin may have been worried that he may be 'played out' and may not be sworn in as Federal Cabinet Minister...so, reasonable to not resign as Menteri Besar until he was sworn in...BUT THAT HAPPENED ON 21/5/2018 ...AND IT IS NOW 30/5/2018, and Azmin has still not resigned as Menteri Besar...and Selangor still does not have a new Menteri Besar.

Azmin's failure to resign until now will significantly impact Selangor...as the new Selangor PH government cannot effectively start working to carry out its '100-day promises'...





KUALA LUMPUR (May 21): Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali today thanked Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah for his consent for the former to accept the appointment as Minister of Economic Affairs and play a greater role in the Federal Government.

In a statement today, Azmin said the consent follows from the clarification and assurance received from Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad concerning the scope of work and areas of jurisdiction of the new Ministry.... - The Edge, 21/5/2018


Seven new faces in Selangor exco line-up






THE new Selangor executive council (exco) line-up is made up of new and experienced elected representatives who come from various professional backgrounds and political parties.

The exco members in the Pakatan Harapan-led state government are from PKR, DAP, Amanah and Pribumi.

The team comprises three former exco members – Datuk Teng Chang Khim (DAP-Bandar Baru Klang), Amiruddin Shari (PKR-Sungai Tua) and V. Ganabatirau (DAP-Kota Kemuning).

The new faces are Haniza Mohamed Talha (PKR-Lembah Jaya), Ng Sze Han (DAP-Kinrara), Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin (PKR-Seri Setia), Hee Loy Sian (PKR-Kajang), Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (Amanah-Seri Serdang), Izham Hashim (Amanah-Pandan Indah) and Datuk Abdul Rashid Asari (Pribumi-Selat Kelang).

Dr Siti Mariah and Hee are also former MPs for Kota Raja and Petaling Jaya Selatan (now renamed Petaling Jaya) respectively.

They were sworn in before Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Monday.

Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Azmin Ali is expected to announce the portfolios of the exco members following discussions at the first exco meeting today.

Sultan Sharafuddin handing over the appointment letter to (clockwise from left) Ng, Abdul Rashid (Bernama) and Amiruddin Shari (Bernama).
Sultan Sharafuddin presenting letter of appointment to Ng Sze Han.

Ganabatirau said the exco team was expected to be stronger this term as the Federal Government was also under Pakatan Harapan.

“I am happy to be appointed for the second time and hope to serve the state better as both the state and federal governments are under Pakatan Harapan,” he said.

Two-term assemblyman Haniza, who was the deputy state assembly speaker prior to GE14, said she was looking forward to serving in the new capacity.

She described the exco team, made up of three senior members and seven fresh faces, as a formidable one.

“We need to move forward at a rapid pace without the red tape and politicking.

“I believe the people of Selangor will be the biggest benefactors of this situation where we do not have to be at loggerheads with the Federal Government anymore,” said Haniza, who is an architectural graduate.

Izham, who is state Amanah chairman, believed his 10-year experience serving as a councillor in Shah Alam City Council and Subang Jaya Municipal Council would help him take on the new role.

He added that he also worked with state exco members and assemblymen in auditing performances when he was with PAS.

He said the portfolio given to the exco members would depend on the assemblyman’s background.

“As an engineer, I feel that housing and infrastructure portfolio will suit me but I will leave it to the state leadership to decide,” he said.

Happy to be appointed for the second term, Amiruddin expects the challenge to be tougher this time.

“We have to work hard to deliver the goods after the people gave us a stronger mandate by electing Pakatan to head the Federal Government.

“I hope I will be given the sports portfolio so that I can continue with the projects I started,” he added.

Second-term Kinrara assemblyman Ng Sze Han was surprised with his appointment and welcomes the responsibility to be entrusted to him by Azmin.

“I will leave it to the Mentri Besar to decide which portfolio suits us best.

“He knows our background and it will be based on that,” he said, adding that the exco role was a new challenge for him because at the same time, he would be servicing a larger constituency, which was now almost double in size after the redelineation exercise.

Hee, who is a new assemblyman and two-term MP, said he would accept whatever portfolio given to him.

He said the role of assemblyman and exco posed different challenges, but looked forward to his new role.

As an assemblyman, he would take on two main issues in Kajang, the flood problem and traffic congestion.

On her Facebook page yesterday, former Selangor Tourism, Environment, Green Technology and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Elizabeth Wong said it was a privilege to have served the state government and the people of Selangor for 10 years (2008-2018).

The former Bukit Lanjan assemblyman said she was offered to extend her term by Azmin but upon reflection, “I thought it best that after 10 years, there would be new blood and fresh ideas.

“Opportunities must be available for others to come in and make a difference.

“There are also new horizons to explore. I will continue to serve the state, the country and our fellow citizens,” she wrote.- Star, 16/5/2018


Malaysia prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's new Cabinet sworn in

Malaysia's new Cabinet under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration was sworn in on Monday (May 21), nearly two weeks after the coalition's shocking election win that ended Barisan Nasional's (BN) six decades of power.
The 13 federal ministers took their oaths of office in a ceremony at the royal palace presided over by King Sultan Muhammad V....Taking on the most sought-after portfolios are former Selangor Menteri Besar and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who is Minister of Economic Affairs, and former Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is Finance Minister. - Straits Times, 21/5/2018

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