Friday May 3, 2013

GE13: Kedah MB and exco members vacate their offices

ALOR SETAR: Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and his state executive councillors have vacated their offices at Wisma Darul Aman here.

The Kedah Mentri Besar has also returned his official car.

“I am using my old Mercedes now,” he said here yesterday after presenting a RM50,000 mock cheque to SMJK Keat Hwa for the school's participation at an international marching band competition in Bangkok on April 2.

The band, which won a silver medal at the competition, performed before Azizan and state executive councillor Datuk Mohamed Taulan Mat Rasul at the Mentri Besar's official residence in Mentaloon.

Azizan said he and his state exco members had been removing their belongings in stages from the day the state assembly was dissolved.

“We will move back in if the rakyat give us the mandate again,” he said, expressing confidence the Pakatan Rakyat coalition would return to power in Kedah on May 5.

Mohamed Taulan said he had also returned his official car.

Azizan said it was crucial to choose leaders of good character, as immoral leadership tainted with corruption, cronyism and abuse of power could lead to the downfall of a government.

He also took swipes at his critics over several issues, such as the issue concerning the state-owned Kolej Universiti Insaniah (Kuin) and the logging controversy.

“We succeeded in building a RM330mil campus for Kuin, without a single sen from the Federal Government,” he said, adding that it was facing a temporary problem due to a limited budget, increased enrolment from 2,000 to 9,000 students and demand to increase staff salary by 13%.

On the alleged unplanned clearing of land, he said proceeds from rubber and oil palm estates under the Ladang Sejahtera project would benefit poor folk registered under the state's e-sinar programme.

“We did not clear the land to give to any particular individual. The state will manage the farm and the proceeds will be for the poor.”

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