Mohd Radzhi stripped of exco post

(The Star) ALOR STAR: Lunas assemblyman Mohd Radzhi Salleh has been stripped of his state executive council post by the Sultan of Kedah Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said the Sultan accepted the state government’s recommendations and replaced Mohd Radzhi with Kulim assemblyman Lim Soo Nee.

The Sultan decided this on Tuesday, a day after Azizan met with the ruler.

“It is the prerogative of the Sultan to nominate or strip someone of the state executive council,” said Azizan.

“And, in this case the Sultan has accepted our reasons as Mohd Radzhi no longer represents the Pakatan Rakyat component parties,” he said.

Azizan said Lim was chosen after he had discussed the issue with PKR advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. “We wanted someone from the southern part of Kedah to sit in the exco,” he added.

Lim, 37, is PKR assistant information chief.

In the 2008 general election, he defeated Barisan Nasional candidate Lim Lee Choo and Independent candidate Khairul Anuar Ramli with a majority of 1,244 votes. Lim joined PKR in 2000.

Azizan said there would be some adjustments to the current exco line up with Lim’s appointment.

“The changes will be announced after Lim’s swearing-in ceremony next week,” he said.

Azizan also said Pakatan Rakyat will appoint one of its assemblymen to look after Lunas following Mohd Radzhi’s decision to quit the party.

On Sunday, Mohd Radzhi, who is also the Tourism, Community Development and Human Resources Committee chairman, announced that he had left PKR to become an Independent member of the Kedah legislative assembly.

He, however, retained the exco post.

Azizan, on Monday, had an audience with the Sultan and handed the ruler a letter urging him to strip Mohd Radhzi of the position.