JOHOR BARU, April 13 — Johor’s leadership crisis will soon come to an end as Bukit Kepong assemblyman Dr Sahruddin Jamal is expected to be sworn in as the state’s next mentri besar tomorrow.
This comes after Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar gave his consent for Datuk Osman Sapian to resign as mentri besar earlier today after an audience at Istana Pasir Pelangi here.
Dr Sahruddin, who is the state’s Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman was recently appointed by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) as the Johor chapter’s secretary.
However, it was at the Ninth Malaysia-Singapore Leaders Retreat in Putrajaya earlier this week that Dr Sahruddin caught the eye of party leaders when he attended on behalf of Osman.
His appointment as Johor’s 17th mentri besar will see him receiving the Letter of Declaration of the Appointment of the Johor Mentri Besar from Sultan Ibrahim at the Balai Mengadap of the Istana Bukit Serene here tomorrow morning.
A Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) source said after Dr Sahruddin’s swearing-in ceremony at Istana Bukit Serene, he will then proceed to the Johor Mentri Besar’s Office in the state administrative capital in Kota Iskandar.
“There will be a handing over ceremony between Osman and Dr Sahruddin and he will then officially start his duties as the mentri besar,” the source told Malay Mail.
However, the source said it was still not known if Dr Sahruddin will immediately reshuffle the state executive committee.
“We believe that some minor changes are expected to take place soon as with the vacancy of the previous health, environment and agriculture portfolio and the earlier wishes of Sultan Ibrahim when he met Osman,” said the source.
Dr Sahruddin, 43, graduated with a medical degree from Hasanuddin University in Indonesia.
He defeated Umno’s Mohd Noor Taib and PAS’s Mohamad Nur Iqbal Abd Razak by a slim majority to win the Bukit Kepong seat in the 14th general elections last year.
Dr Sahruddin, who is said to be aligned with the party’s president and current Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, was publicly known for giving daily status updates during the recent Sungai Kim Kim incident in Pasir Gudang.
Upon news of Osman’s resignation on Monday, his name has been bandied around as the next mentri besar.
Another name that was mentioned earlier was fellow PPBM Puteri Wangsa assemblyman Mazlan Bujang. He currently helms the state’s Public Works, Infrastructure and Transportation portfolio.
