KLANG: Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has been sworn in as Selangor Mentri Besar for a second term.
The Sungai Tua assemblyman took his oath of office before Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at Istana Alam Shah here yesterday.
Dressed in a black baju Melayu, together with a gold embroidered samping and headgear, he read his oath and pledged to serve the state and its people to his best ability while holding on to Selangor’s ceremonial spear, the Lembing Sembuana.
Amirudin, 43, was first appointed as the Mentri Besar in 2018, replacing Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who took up a Cabinet position.
The Universiti Putra Malaysia social science graduate came into the limelight in 2008 after winning the Batu Caves state seat, which he has retained since then.
The constituency was renamed Sungai Tua after the delineation exercise prior to the 2018 general election.
Married with six children, the PKR vice-president was appointed an executive councillor in the state government, overseeing youth development, sports, cultural and entrepreneurship development after the 2013 polls.
Speaking to the media after the swearing-in ceremony, Amirudin said he was only notified of the reappointment last Thursday, as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had submitted three names for the post.
On the increase in the number of Opposition assemblymen, Amirudin said what matters is the people’s voice.
“We have to work hard because the people’s demands are quite high,” he added.
He added that although the current state government failed to get a two-thirds majority, the unity pact, which secured 34 seats, still has 12 more elected representatives than Perikatan Nasional.
On the selection of exco members, the Selangor Pakatan Harapan chairman said a Barisan Nasional representative has also been given a place in the 10-member line-up, and their portfolios will be announced on Wednesday after the first exco meeting.
DAP leads the new exco team with four members, followed by PKR (three), Amanah (two) and Barisan (one).
Representing the party are former Speaker Ng Suee Lim – who is a five-term Sekinchan assemblyman; Ng Sze Han (Kinrara); Jamaliah Jamaluddin (Bandar Utama); and V. Papparaidu (Banting).
Sze Han, a former exco overseeing local government, public transport and new village development, and Jamaliah are second-term assemblymen, while Papparaidu is a newbie.
PKR is represented by Borhan Aman Shah (Tanjong Sepat), Najwan Halimi (Kota Anggerik), and Dr Fahmi Ngah (Seri Setia).
Selangor Amanah chief Izham Hashim and the party’s first-term assemblyman Anfaal Saari, who won the Pandan Indah and Taman Templer seats respectively, were also sworn in as exco members.
Anfaal is the daughter of former three-term Hulu Kelang assemblyman Saari Sungib, while Izham, a second-term assemblyman, held the infrastructure and public amenities, agriculture modernisation and agro-based industry portfolios previously.
Sungai Air Tawar assemblyman Datuk Rizam Ismail is the sole Barisan elected representative who made it into the exco. He was the Opposition chief in the previous state legislative assembly.
