Sungai Tawar assemblyman Rizam Ismail said he will abide by Umno’s decision if it pulls support for the Selangor government, deferring his position in the state executive council to the party leadership and Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.
Rizam, who is Barisan Nasional’s sole representative in the Selangor exco, said he would comply with whatever his party decides regarding support for the Pakatan Harapan-led administration. “I am an assemblyman because of the party. As an Umno member, I will comply with whatever the party decides. I also leave it to the menteri besar (to decide on the exco post) because he appointed me to the position. As long as I remain part of the administration, I will continue to carry out my duties,” he told FMT.
Cabaran Bersatu
Rizam was responding to Bersatu’s Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin, who challenged BN’s two Selangor assemblymen to withdraw support for Amirudin’s administration. The other BN assemblyman in Selangor is Dusun Tua representative Johan Abdul Aziz.
Afif said Selangor Umno should order Rizam and Johan to quit the government bloc and join the opposition if the Umno-PAS cooperation is more than just talk. However, Rizam brushed off the challenge, saying Bersatu should resolve its internal issues instead of interfering in Umno’s business. “I’m not interested in entertaining such provocation. We have our own parties and should focus on our respective matters,” he said.
The worsening ties between BN and Pakatan Harapan have raised questions about the stability of the Selangor government, which currently relies on BN’s two assemblymen to maintain a majority. As of now, Rizam remains in his exco portfolio, awaiting any directive from the Umno leadership or the menteri besar.
