KANGAR – A former schoolteacher is set to make history later today, when he will be sworn in before Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail as the state’s first menteri besar from PAS and the eighth overall since Merdeka.
Two-term Sanglang assemblyman Mohd Shukri Ramli was nominated by the winning coalition – Perikatan Nasional (PN) as their choice for menteri besar.
He is also the state PN liaison chairman.
After Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin granted an audience with Shukri yesterday, it was proclaimed that the swearing-in ceremony would take place at 3.30pm today in Istana Arau.
Shukri, 66, who previously served as a teacher from 1985 until 2013, is considered to be the protege of PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Hashim Jasin, the PAS strongman in Perlis.
PAS is now the dominant party in Perlis through PN for the first time, after the coalition won 14 out of the 15 state assembly seats, ending decades of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) reign in the nation’s smallest state.
The victory was solidified after BN’s former chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim was dropped by Umno as the candidate for the Arau federal seat.
Following the decision, Shahidan defected to PN as a direct nominee, and successfully defended his federal seat, vowing to defeat BN in Perlis.
The end result was the state BN chapter, under former Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man, losing all 15 state seats it contested following a major swing of votes by the Malay majority.
In addition, PN also swept all three parliamentary seats in Perlis.
Only one assemblyman from Pakatan Harapan (PH), Gan Ay Ling, managed to survive the PN onslaught, defending the Indera Kayangan state seat.
Gan expressed sorrow at PH’s loss, despite the coalition’s plans to save Malaysia from the rule of oppressive politics and allow everyone a better say in the future.
“I will become a constructive opposition member. It is tough as I am the only Chinese and only opposition member here. I will speak up for all if they have been wronged.”
Gan said she will also focus on development, as well as bread-and-butter issues while continuing her work in serving her constituents. – The Vibes, November 22, 2022
