N Sembilan excos sworn in, Jalaluddin not among them

 

Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim has appointed 10 exco members to his state administration, with a majority hailing from Umno.

According to a Malaysiakini tally, the 11-member state executive council, including the menteri besar, comprises eight Umno assemblypersons and one each from MCA, PAS and Parti Wawasan Negara.

Ismail will also hold three portfolios: Islamic affairs and security; finance, land and natural resources; and investment, infrastructure, utilities, communication and Felda.

Ismail had been sworn into office on Aug 2, following the Negeri Sembilan election a day earlier, where Umno secured 16 of the 32 seats in the state, MCA won two, PAS four, and Wawasan Negara three.

The 10 excos took their oath of office before the Yang di-Pertuan Besar Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir at Istana Besar Seri Menanti today, Bernama reported.

The excos and menteri besar with their hands in prayer during the swearing-in ceremony today

Didn’t make the cut

Notably absent from the state line-up is Pertang assemblyperson Jalaluddin Alias.

The Negeri Sembilan BN chief is said to be among three people whom BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi proposed to Tuanku Muhriz to be the new menteri besar.

Jalaluddin had previously been vocal in blaming Pakatan Harapan for the ongoing crisis involving the state’s royal institution and customary rulers.

Pertang assemblyperson Jalaluddin Alias

On April 27, Jalaluddin led 13 other Umno assemblypersons, including Ismail, in a press conference to announce their withdrawal of support for then menteri besar Aminuddin Harun’s leadership.

This was among the reasons for the dissolution of the state assembly and paved the way for the Aug 1 election.

Meanwhile, since there are no Indian Malaysians among the government assemblypersons who could be appointed as an exco member, Ismail reportedly said he will appoint an Indian leader from MIC as an officer in the Menteri Besar’s Office with the rank of exco.

“This would be done administratively and not by taking an oath in the palace, to give space for the multiracial society in Negeri Sembilan,” Utusan Malaysia quoted him as saying after today’s swearing-in ceremony.

On Zahid’s proposal to appoint an Orang Asli representative as his special officer, Ismail said the matter is still under consideration, and he will ask the Orang Asli Development Department to nominate someone for the post.

The composition of the new state cabinet is as follows:

• Ismail Lasim (Umno) - menteri besar; Islamic affairs and security exco; finance, land and natural resources exco; investment, infrastructure, utilities, communication and Felda exco

• Faizal Ramli (Umno) - rural progress and regional development exco

• Zaifulbahri Idris (Umno) - education, higher education and human capital exco

• Mustapha Nagoor (Umno) - youth and sports development exco

• Siow Kong Choon (MCA) - local government development, housing and non-Islamic affairs exco

• Siti Nur Umaira Hasim (Umno) - women, family and community development exco

• Asna Amin (Umno) - industry, technology, innovation and digital exco

• Razi Ali (Umno) - agriculture, food security and cost of living exco

• Suhaimizan Bizar (Umno) - health, unity, information, national integration and NGO exco

• Fairuz Isa (PAS) - entrepreneurship, human resources, climate change, cooperatives and consumerism exco

• Razali Abu Samah (Wawasan Negara) - tourism, arts, culture and heritage exco - Mkini