Selangor Pakatan leaders want Amirudin to stay as MB to allow 'continuity'

The Star

2 days ago

KLANG: Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz quitting Umno for PKR has got Selangor Pakatan Harapan parties urging Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to complete his full term as Mentri Besar.
Amirudin has emerged as a favourite to take up a Cabinet position in the Federal Government following the resignation of Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Selangor DAP chairman Ng Sze Han, his Amanah counterpart Datuk Izham Hashim and state PKR deputy chief Datuk Borhan Aman Shah issued a joint statement Saturday (May 31) saying Pakatan Harapan component parties wanted to maintain the status quo in the Selangor state administration.
'This support (for Amirudin) is in line with the need for the Selangor state administration to remain stable and strong to implement the various welfare programmes and policies that have been planned,'' said the trio.
They named the Second Selangor Plan, the development of the third port in Carey Island, and the construction of the Shah Alam Stadium Complex among the plans undergoing completion under Amirudin's purview.
'The continuity of the main state leadership will deliver a positive message to investors and the business community in Selangor,'' said the statement.
The leaders said they were also of the opinion that Amirudin's leadership as the Selangor Pakatan chief was much needed to strengthen the cooperation with Barisan Nasional for the upcoming general election.
'His experience and leadership are the key to the unity that has been shaped, which saw victory as well as the formation of the Unity Government in Selangor after the last general election," they added.
Should Amirudin make the move to Putrajaya, Seri Setia assemblyman and chairman of the state Islamic and cultural innovation committee, Dr Fahmi Ngah, is one of the main potential candidates rumoured to replace him.
Ng, Izham and Borhan went on to say they believed that, as an experienced administrator, Amirudin's service was also needed to help ensure Selangor continues being the nation's economic stronghold while at the same time ensuring Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Malaysia Madani agenda is a success.
Tengku Zafrul announced his decision to leave Umno to join PKR on Friday (May 30), and this started speculation that he may be brought into the state administration to helm Selangor.
However, a PKR insider said that this was not possible, as to be a state mentri besar or even an executive councillor, one would have to be an assemblyman first.