Salleh Man of PAS named as MAIPP president

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has appointed Penang PAS commissioner Salleh Man as president of the Penang Islamic Affairs Council (MAIPP).

Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman made the announcement today at the state government complex at Komtar.

"Salleh (left), who is also Permatang Pasir assemblyperson, will begin his duties from today until Dec 31," Mansor, also Penanti assemblyperson, said.

This puts to rest months of speculation about the post, the position, which was supposed to have been given to PAS as part of Pakatan Rakyat's election pledge in 2008.

Also present with Mansor at the press conference were state executive councillor Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, MAIPP deputy president Makhtar Shafiee and its secretary Sazali Hussein.

The state government has been working to have Salleh named as MAIPP president since the tenure of the former council head expired on Jan 1.

On Jan 20, the Penang government had submitted a letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the state's decision to acknowledge Salleh as president of MAIPP.

However, it was learnt then that the Agong had instead given his consent for Abdul Malik to be MAIPP president.

This caused a stir among Pakatan Rakyat's rivals, who said the coalition had pledged to make Salleh the president of MAIPP during the 2008 general election.

Even state PAS Youth secretary Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden said Abdul Malik should vacate the position while waiting for the Agong to appoint Salleh.

"This action is appropriate to show that the state government is responsible for the mistake that it had admitted to," Afnan Hamimi said in a statement.