JOHOR BAHARU: The newly-appointed Johor state executive councillors will be given a bigger role in the state’s administration.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said in the state’s new administration under his leadership, the state executive (exco) members were not only responsible for overseeing their own areas, but also to help build good relations between the constituencies.
“I encourage them to play a bigger role as state executive councillors,” he said as he began work as the new Johor menteri besar at the state government’s administrative centre in Nusajaya, here, yesterday.
The former higher education minister and former Pasir Gudang member of parliament led the line-up of nine state exco members in taking their oath of office before the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, yesterday.
The line-up include two reappointed old faces, Johor Lama assemblyman Asiah Md Ariff and Mahkota assemblyman Md Jais Sarday.
The new faces are Datuk Abd Latif Bandi (Endau), R Vidyanathan (Kahang), Abdul Mutalib Abd Rahim (Layang-Layang), Datuk Zulkurnain Kamisan (Seri Medan), Ismail Mohamed (Bukit Serampang), Datuk Hasni Mohammad (Benut) and Datuk Tee Siew Kiong (Pulai Sebatang).
Tee, who is also Pontian MCA division chief, is also the only MCA assemblyman appointed to a state exco in the country so far after the party decided not to accept any post in government following its poor performance
in the recent 13th general election.
There is still a vacant post in the Johor exco, which Khaled said would be decided later.
He said at the first state exco meeting chaired by him yesterday, he would give his views on the state’s direction for continued growth to make it a developed state. — Bernama