AYER KEROH: Melaka Umno chief Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh is among eight new faces appointed as state executive councillors (exco).
Ab Rauf who is Tanjung Bidara assemblyman will be responsible for the state's Industry, Investment and Entrepreneur Development portfolio.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali in announcing the state exco line-up said the other new faces are Serkam assemblyman Datuk Zaidi Attan (Exco for Housing, Local Government and Environment); and Telok Mas assemblyman Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman (Exco for Rural Development, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry).
Also appointed in the executive line-up is MIC's Gadek assemblyman VP Shanmugam as the exco for Youth, Sports and NGO; Pengkalan Batu assemblyman Datuk Kalsom Nordin as the exco for Women's Affairs, Family Development and Welfare and Merlimau assemblyman Dr Akmal Saleh will be in charge of the Health and Anti-Drug portfolio.
Paya Rumput assemblyman Datuk Rais Yasin has been appointed as the exco for Education and Technology while MCA's Machap Jaya assemblyman Ngwe Hee Sem as the exco for Unity, Community Relations, Manpower and Consumer Affairs.
Sulaiman said he would lead the Economic Planning, Finance, Land Development, Government-linked companies (GLC) and Religious Affairs, while Rembia assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis remained as the exco for Tourism, Culture and Heritage portfolio.
Ayer Molek assemblyman Rahmad Mariman was appointed as Public Works, Transportation, Public Facilities, Infrastructure and Flood Management exco.
"The list of Excos was agreed by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam and the swearing-in ceremony and taking of the oath of office and secrecy will take place this afternoon," he said.
Sulaiman is confident that these excos would be able to shoulder the responsibility given to developing Melaka, thus being able to mobilise efforts to realise the manifesto and commitment Barisan Nasional (BN) made in the state election.