Azmin can not hold back during his final address as the menteri besar at a brief farewell ceremony. — Bernama photo
SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali yesterday bade farewell as the Selangor menteri besar and said Selangor would always hold a special place in his heart even after he begins to function fully as a federal minister today.
After clocking out for the last time as the menteri besar at 4.31pm yesterday, he said he hoped that all Selangor civil servants would continue to extend good cooperation to his successor in order to maintain the progress and prosperity of Selangor.
“I have great confidence in the capability and credibility of my successor and the new state executive councillors who will surely ensure the continuity of the dynamic administration of integrity and maintain the people-caring policies.
“I promise that although I will be in Putrajaya, Selangor will hold a special place in my heart and I will ensure that the people of Selangor will get their rights fairly and equitably for our hard work that has contributed 23 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product,” he said in his final address as the menteri besar at a brief farewell ceremony at the lobby of the State Secretariat Building here.
Mohamed Azmin expressed his gratitude to all Selangor civil servants and the administrators of the state government subsidiaries for their good cooperation during his administration and praised them for having discharged their duty as a team with integrity and professionalism.
After delivering his speech, Mohamed Azmin seemed to be overcome with emotion and was seen wiping away his tears as a representative of the state civil servants offered prayers for his well-being. He then shook hands with the civil servants who walked with him to his official car.
Earlier, when asked about the new menteri besar, Mohamed Azmin said: “My new successor is dynamic, energetic and will continue the legacy of Selangor.”
Mohamed Azmin was first sworn in as the menteri besar of Selangor on Sept 23, 2014, and was reappointed on May 11 this year after the Pakatan Harapan returned to power in the state and at the federal level in the 14th general election last month.
He was appointed the Minister for Economic Affairs in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on May 21 and thus had to give up the post of menteri besar.
This development had the people of Selangor speculating as to who would be his successor. Two names often mentioned were those of Ijok state assemblyman Dr Idris Ahmad and Sungai Tua state assemblyman Amiruddin Shari who is also a state executive councillor.
The new menteri besar is scheduled to be sworn in tomorrow at Istana Alam Shah in Klang. — Bernama