Govt, people to work together to further develop Melaka - Chief Minister

MELAKA, March 9 -- The Melaka government and its people must work in tandem to further develop the state, said new Chief Minister Datuk Sulaiman Md Ali.

Sulaiman, who is also Lendu assemblyman, said all 17 state assemblymen who had expressed their cooperation to form the new state government should also move in tandem to realise the goals.

“Leaders and the people need to move together. Looking at all 17 assemblymen from various backgrounds, I can see this coalition is capable of delivering great work.

“Melaka needs them (17 assemblymen) to ensure that their cooperation will be able to fulfil people's aspirations,” he said at his first media conference in Ayer Keroh here today.

Earlier, he took his oath of office as the 12th Chief Minister during the swearing-in ceremony before Yang Dipertua Negeri of Melaka Tun Dr Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

Of the 17 assemblymen, 13 of them are from the Barisan Nasional (BN), two from Bersatu, namely Datuk Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen (Paya Rumput) and Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas); Datuk Muhammad Jailani Khamis (PKR-Rembia) and Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (DAP-Pengkalan Batu).

In another development, he said he would look into the water issue in the state tomorrow and would discuss it with various parties, namely, Melaka state secretary Datuk Hasim Hasan, the Melaka Water Regulatory Body (BKSA) and the Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB).

“Let those involved to explain the real problems first, then I will take immediate and reasonable action (to resolve the water issue),” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking at a brief ceremony in his hometown of Masjid Tanah, Alor Gajah near here, Sulaiman said his appointment as the new chief minister was huge responsibility to lead the state administration.

-- BERNAMA