Terengganu May Appoint Opposition Reps To Correct Govt Says Exco Man

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Kijal assemblyman Razali Idris said the Terengganu government is considering appointing four opposition representatives after PN made a clean sweep in the state election.PETALING JAYA: The Terengganu government is looking to appoint opposition assemblymen who “do not want to overthrow the state government like Umno”, says a state executive councillor.
Kijal assemblyman Razali Idris, who heads the tourism, culture and environment committee, said the state government was considering appointing four assemblymen after Perikatan Nasional (PN) won all the 32 seats in the Aug 12 state election.
Menteri besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar previously said the state constitution gave the state government the authority to appoint assemblymen in cases where certain groups, communities or other such entities were not represented.
“The opposition we intend to establish is one that provides opposition in order to correct the government, not an opposition like Umno which aims to overthrow the Terengganu government,” Razali told FMT.
He said the appointments had been discussed and were under consideration, and a decision would be made soon.
Asked whether the state government is open to appointing candidates who lost in the recent state election, Razali, who is the Bersatu information chief, said priority would be given to individuals who were not politically affiliated.
“The defeated candidates don’t need to be considered,” he said.
“They need to reflect on why the people rejected them.
“Never before in Terengganu’s history have the people rejected (opposition candidates) by 40-0 (32 state assembly seats and eight parliamentary seats).”
PN won all eight parliamentary seats in the state in the 15th general election (GE15) last November.
Razali was responding to a suggestion by former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin that Samsuri should appoint 10 representatives from NGOs and other minority groups to provide checks and balances following PAS’s clean sweep in the state.
Khairy said such appointments would prove that the state government was a responsible one. - FMT

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