IPOH: With the state government having been formed, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad (pic) has urged everyone to now focus on being united for the people’s sake.
“Unlike at the federal level, the decision to form a state government was made quickly due to the party coalitions involved in the state.
“In Perak, there are only three coalitions – Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional – whereas at the federal level, there are more.
“That is why it was easier for us to make a decision.
“We need to move on and move forward,” Saarani told reporters at the Mentri Besar’s office at the State Secretariat Building here yesterday.
Saarani, who was sworn in as the 15th Mentri Besar on Monday, said the first state assembly meeting would be held on Dec 19.
“Now that the Mentri Besar and the state executive council have been sworn in, we will soon be tabling the 2023 budget and state anti-hopping law.
“We also held our first meeting today (yesterday) and I am pleased to say that it went well.
“All of us agreed that our main focus is on being united, to lessen our differences and minimise our political interests for the people’s sake,” he said.
As for portfolios, Saarani said he would chair the Islamic religion, finance, security, land, natural resources, economic planning and government-linked companies committees.
Lintang assemblyman Datuk Mohd Zolkafly Harun will chair rural development, plantations, agriculture and food industry; while Sungai Rapat assemblyman Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin will be the infrastructure, energy, water and public transportation committee chairman.
Others are A. Sivanesan (health, human resources and Indian community affairs), Loh Sze Yee (tourism, industries, investment and corridor development), Salbiah Mohamed (women and family development, social welfare, entrepreneur development), Teh Kok Lim (science, environment and green technology), Sandrea Ng (housing and local government), Khairudin Abu Hanifah (education, higher learning, youth and sports), Mohd Azlan Helmi (communi-cations, multimedia and NGOs) and Woo Kah Leong (domestic trade and consumerism, cooperatives, Chinese New Villages).
