Nizar finally sworn in

KUALA KANGSAR: State PAS secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has finally been sworn-in as the 10th Perak Mentri Besar. 

The much-anticipated ceremony took place at Istana Iskandariah here yesterday, which was coincidentally Mohammad Nizar’s 51st birthday. 

The newly-elected Pasir Panjang assemblyman took his oath of office, and pledges of loyalty and secrecy at 11.45am before the Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah. 

Official appointment: Raja Nazrin handing over the letter ofappointment as Mentri Besar to Mohammad Nizar at IstanaIskandariah in Kuala Kangsar yesterday. — Bernama

Raja Dihilir Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and his wife Raja Puan Muda of Perak Raja Nor Mahani Raja Shahar Shah were present to witness the event. 

Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham, secretary Nga Kor Ming, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Perak PKR chairman Zulkifli Ibrahim, state PAS commissioner Ahmad Awang and PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa were also present. 

Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali, who has been out of the public eye since the March 8 polls, attended the ceremony and later shook hands with his successor and other leaders of the new DAP-PKR-PAS coalition. 

At a press conference later, Mohammad Nizar, a consultant engineer educated in England, stressed that having a PAS leader as Mentri Besar did not mean the formation of a PAS government. 

Instead, he said, it was a Barisan Rakyat (People’s Front) government, adding that he would be a Mentri Besar for all regardless of race, religion or political ideologies. 

He also said that his office was open to all Barisan Nasional elected representatives who wanted to voice their views to him. 

On the line-up of the 10 state executive councillors and the post of two Deputy Mentri Besar, Mohammad Nizar said it would be finalised over the next two days. The executive councillors are expected to be sworn in by next week. 

He confirmed that the formula used to appoint the executive councillors would be a six-three-one composition, with the DAP getting the lion’s share, followed by PKR and PAS. 

Ngeh, who is likely to be appointed Deputy Mentri Besar I, said the people would now see vast differences in the new administration when compared with the previous one under Barisan. 

“There will be changes in various policies such as land matters. There will also be no discrimination based on race, religion or cultural backgrounds,” he said.  

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