Azmin Ali shocks Selangor assembly with suggestion

(The Star) SHAH ALAM: Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman Azmin Ali has called for a reshuffle of the state executive council because of complaints of them being bureaucratic.

He said he had received many complaints from key business figures in the state who said there was a lot of bureaucracy when it came to gaining approvals for commercial purposes.

“Maybe it’s time for the Mentri Besar to consider an exco reshuffle for the people to be served better,” he said at the Selangor State Assembly yesterday.

Azmin told a press conference later that he had put forward the suggestion to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim due to the complaints he had received from the people.

He said the Selangor State Economic Council had taken a “prejudicial stance by investigating and punishing” instead of facilitating businesses.

“The council must not behave like a court of law but instead forge closer ties with the business community to ensure that the state enjoyed better economic growth.

“The revenue for the state is not what we had expected,” he said.

He added that the expected revenue from the sale of sand and minerals was nowhere near what Khalid had projected.

Azmin said in the event his suggestions were accepted, the appointment of the exco members must not be based on which party or race they represented but their ability to carry out their work efficiently.

When asked if he had behaved like an opposition member with his outburst, Khalid said the coalition allowed differences in opinion and issues, adding that Azmin had voiced the grievances of his constituents.

“We must find out how we can serve the people better,” he said.