Selangor exco: 5 non-Malay, 4 women

Andrew Ong and Ng Ling Fong | Mar 21, 08 1:00pm

Selangor's 10-member state executive council looks likely to open a new historical chapter with half of its line-up being non-Malays. Also the council - which is the administrative body of the state - will also make history with the inclusion of four women in the team. Malaysiakini has learnt that Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has submitted the final list of state exco members to the palace this morning. Of the 10 executive councillors, PKR will have four posts, DAP (3) and PAS (3). It is understood that PKR have been allocated four exco positions in which two members - Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Seri Andalas - right) and Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan) - are non-Malays. Three more non-Malays in the list are Ronnie Liu (Pandamaran), Teresa Kok (Kinrara) and Ean Yong Hian Hua (Seri Kembangan) from DAP. Earlier, it was reported that the palace would prefer that there be a minimum six Malay exco members, to reflect the state’s racial composition, but would however accept an exco with five Malays and five non-Malays. Four women in exco Two Malays expected to represent PKR in the exco are Yaakob Sapari (Kota Angerik) and Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga). PAS, which has been given three exco positions, is expected to be represented by Dr Hassan Ali (Gombak Setia), Dr Halimah Ali (Selat Kelang) and Iskandar Abdul Samad (Cempaka). The swearing-in for the state exco members is expected to take place on Monday. A rehearsal to take place later this afternoon. Four of the executive councillors will be women. The last exco line-up had only one woman. The exco line-up however, is expected to be without veteran Selangor opposition leader Teng Chang Kim (right) who is the most experienced member in the Selangor legislature. Teng had served as state assembly opposition leader since 1995 when he won the Bukit Gasing seat. In 1999, he was elected Bandar Kelang assemblyperson and later the Sungai Pinang assemblyperson in 2004. During the recent general election he retained the Sungai Pinang seat with a higher majority. It is learnt that Teng will be made speaker of the state assembly. However, this will require prior approval from the Selangor sultan. It is also not clear whether Khalid will be naming either one or two deputy mentri besars, if at all. The sultan has expressed his wish to see a Malay deputy MB, while predominantly Chinese DAP - being the second biggest party after PKR - is pressing for its representative to be picked as Khalid's deputy. Hindraf wants Mano as MB Meanwhile, four Hindu Rights Action Force leaders presently being detained under the Internal Security Act in Kamunting today urged that their fellow detainee and Kota Alam Shah state representative M Manoharan is appointed as a deputy menteri besar in Selangor. The four - P Uthayakumar, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar - said they unanimously believed that Manoharan (left) should represent the Indian community in the new state government. The five of them were arrested under the ISA on Dec 13 for allegedly being a national threat in mobilising the Indian community to air their grievances against the government. “Hindraf has contributed enormously in the last election to ensure the victory for DAP, PKR and PAS,” they said in a March 19 joint-statement which was smuggled out of the detention centre. “Manoharan, being a Hindraf leader and a DAP stalwart should be given due recognition by appointing him to the post of deputy menteri besar,” they said, adding that the appointment would make “his unlawful detention less painful”. Manoharan won the Kota Alam Shah seat with a 7,184 majority while remaining under detention.