Johor assembly: Tanjung Piai Umno division chief Jefridin Atan appointed senator

KOTA ISKANDAR: The Johor state assembly has appointed Tanjung Piai Umno division chief Datuk Jefridin Atan as a senator for three years.

This comes despite Pakatan Harapan suggesting former state Health Department director Dr Selahudden Abdul Aziz for the position as well.

Earlier, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad suggested the 52-year-old Jefridin for the senatorship, saying that he has vast experience in politics as well as playing an active role in bringing up issues to government agencies.

“He (Jefridin) was former prime minister Tun Abdullah Badawi’s private secretary and special officer since 2001 and remained active in various non-governmental organisations and volunteerism, ” he added.

Hasni said this during the tabling of appointing a senator to the Dewan Negara at the Johor assembly meeting at Bangunan Sultan Ismail here on Sunday (Sept 13).

The motion was supported by state agriculture, agro-based, and rural development committee chairman Datuk Samsolbari Jamali where Speaker Suhaizan Kaiat allowed the motion to be debated by two assemblymen.

Parit Yaani assemblyman Aminolhuda Hassan, who is also state opposition chief, then stood up where he suggested Dr Selahudden for the senatorship as well

“We would like to suggest Dr Selahudden as a senator for his vast experience as a civil servant and handling the Sungai Kim Kim incident well, ” he said.

Semerah assemblyman Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar then supported the motion.

Suhaizan, however, rejected Pakatan’s nomination of Dr Selahudden saying one name was given and only that name would be chosen.

“This nomination should be either you agree or not instead of picking another nomination, ” he said before the assembly approved the government’s nomination as Senator.