PKR defector Chong Fat Full sworn into Johor exco team
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Pemanis assemblyman Chong Fat Full (right) with Umno leader Hasni Mohammad during a press conference on March 4, 2020.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
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JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Johor has appointed its first-ever state executive councillor (exco) who is an independent representative.
Pemanis assemblyman Chong Fat Full created history when he was sworn in as part of the state's 10-member exco team on Friday (March 6).
Dr Chong, previously from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), quit his party and became independent two days ago.
All 10-members of the state executive committees have been sworn in front of Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar at Istana Bukit Serene.
Johor, which has 56 state assemblymen, has an Umno leader Hasni Mohammad recently sworn in by the ruler as menteri besar. This was despite both the Perikatan Nasional aliance (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) having 28 lawmakers each, resulting in a deadlock on who has control of the assembly.
But with dentist Dr Chong's defection from PKR, PN now has 29 assemblymen on its side, against PH's 27, signalling the fall of the PH state government.
His move comes after recent horse-trading by the new Johor government to woo PH assemblymen to switch camps. Particularly in demand had been ethnic Chinese lawmakers, to ensure that the community is represented in the new exco, as the state Cabinet is called. Dr Chong is now Johor's Unity, Trade and Consumers Affairs exco.
Among the new exco members are Umno state secretary Samsol Bari Jamali, and other Umno lawmakers Ayub Jamil, Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Ms Zaiton Ismail.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) have four representatives in the lineup, including its state chairman Mazlan Bujang, Mohd Solihan Badri, Mohd Izhar Ahmad and Tosrin Jarvanthi.
State Malaysian Indian Congress chairman R. Vidyanathan and Dr Chong make up the remaining members.
