10 Perak exco members sworn in without portfolios

KUALA KANGSAR: Perak’s 10 new executive council (exco) members have finally been sworn in but their portfolios have yet to be finalised.

Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has dismissed the posts of two deputy mentri besar, initially announced, as a “non-issue”.

Team formed: Mohammad Nizar (left) chatting with newly sworn in exco members (from right) JamaluddinMohd Radzi (Behrang), Ngeh (Sitiawan) and Nga (Pantai Remis) as Chen (Keranji) looks on, at the SungaiPerak Resort in Kuala Kangsar yesterday.

“The exco members will report to office at the State Secretariat on Monday morning, after which we will convene a meeting to decide the portfolios,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after the 10 exco members were sworn in before the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, at Istana Iskandariah here at 11am yesterday.

Mohammad Nizar said the exco members had been picked based on their qualifications, strengths, background and political seniority.

The two deputy posts cropped up after Mohammad Nizar was named Perak Mentri Besar on March 12.

Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham was then named Deputy Mentri Besar I while a yet-to-be-named Indian assemblyman was to be Deputy Mentri Besar II.

“We will identify a senior exco I and II for administrative purposes,” Ngeh said but declined to elaborate.

Six of the exco members were from the DAP. They were Ngeh, who is also Sitiawan assemblyman, his secretary Nga Kor Ming (Pantai Remis), treasurer Chen Fook Chye (Keranji), state committee member Thomas Su Keong Siong (Pasir Pinji), national assistant organising secretary Seah Leong Peng (Pasir Bedamar) and central executive committee member A. Sivanesan (Sungkai).

The three from PKR were state deputy chairman Tai Sing Ng (Kuala Sapetang), state treasurer Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Bukit Gantang PKR division information chief Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering).

The one from PAS was the party's state committee member and state national unity bureau chairman Mohd Zainudin Mohd Yusof (Lubok Merbau).

On the lack of representation for the Indian community and women in the exco line-up, Ngeh said: “The exco line-up does not make up the entire state government, which also includes the local government.”

Mohammad Nizar said the exco would discuss at its first meeting tomorrow how to boost the people’s confidence in the newly-formed DAP-PKR-PAS state government.

He also outlined five principles as the foundation of the new administration: justice, trustworthiness and responsibility, transparency, integrity and welfare for the people.

“In no way will we ever let our differences in race, religion and political ideologies affect the administration although all 31 assemblymen of the Barisan Rakyat have different backgrounds,” he added.