Azmin ready to let go of Mentri Besar position if needed in Putrajaya

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said he is ready to relinquish his Selangor Mentri Besar position if he is needed to assist the Federal government as the Economic Affairs Minister.

“I’m still the Selangor Mentri Besar. If a decision has been made for me lend a helping hand in the Federal government, then I will let go of the Mentri Besar position,” he said to reporters when met at the Perdana Leadership Foundation on Saturday (May 19).

However, Azmin maintained that he is still the state Mentri Besar until he seeks an audience with Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah over the matter.

“As I promised yesterday, I will bring this matter up with the Sultan because it involves the Mentri Besar position.

“This procedure must be handled in an organised manner because the mandate given by the Selangor people is too big.

“So we want to maintain the stability and strength of the Selangor state government,” he added.

Azmin was speaking to reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad over Pakatan Harapan’s plans to appoint him as minister.

According to Azmin, the meeting was to get more information regarding his role as the Economic Affairs Minister should he decide to take up that portfolio.

“He (Dr Mahathir) told me to return again with a few additional suggestions to ensure that there are plans and strategies for economic development in Malaysia.

Azmin said that Dr Mahathir had acknowledged the Selangor state government’s success, and told him to use it as a foundation to develop other states in the country.

“It is very crucial for the new ministry and government to help and develop other states aside from Penang, Johor and Selangor,” he said.

“It is a new ministry and the challenges are certainly great. In a few weeks, we have to come up with new policies and strategies. So, we really need a strong team,” he added.

At the same time, Azmin said that he will be reviewing all foreign mega projects inked during former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s adminstration to ensure that is no wrongdoing and if these projects would benefit the people.

“Our priorities must be projects that benefit directly to the people, like electricity, water supply and public housing.

“These are the issues that are very important to me. We have good experience and policies for public housing in Selangor and certainly we can extend that at a Federal level.

When asked if the Pakatan-led government would consider calling off or renegotiate the High Speed Rail project, Azmin said that it is still too early to comment over the matter.

“We want to see if the whole process is transparent or otherwise. So, it is my duty to look and get a team to sit down and discuss.

“We may have to renegotiate back the terms and review all these mega projects.”