By AMIRUDDIN AHMAD
PERMATANG PAUH : Penang’s Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin declined rumours that he is being replaced, claiming that the PKR leadership has not given any such indication.
When he was contacted, Fairus said he was not informed by either PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or the party’s top leaders of a replacement.
“From what I understand, it is only (Seberang Jaya assemblyman) Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah who has said so. I strongly believe that if there was going to be a change, I would be duly informed.
“If he wants to join the party, I am happy and welcome him but I don’t think he will replace me,” he said.He was commenting on news reports quoting Arif Shah as saying that he might leave Umno for the Pakatan Rakyat state government.
The sole Barisan Nasional-elected representative in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency is not on talking terms with Permatang Pauh Umno division chief Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid.
The Mandarin-speaking assemblyman claimed that he was also offered the DCM’s post by Anwar to join the party but was undecided.Arif Shah, who took on Anwar in the recent Permatang Pauh by-election, had described the latter as his “sifu” (master) and friend.
He said Anwar was his “teacher” when the former was the Umno Permatang Pauh division chairman and he was the division Youth chief.Fairus hit out at Arif Shah for making such an “irresponsible, improper and politically immature” statement in the media.
“Since day one of my appointment, certain quarters have been trying to pull me down. I am the youngest DCM in the history of Malaysian politics so of course there is jealousy.“I was voted in by the people.
They will not get rid of me because I am a fighter and I will never retreat,” said the Penanti assemblyman who has been plagued by accusations of under-performing.“We are a new government.
I was only elected eight months ago and am still learning and improving,” he said, adding that the process would “take time”.
State Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said Arif Shah leaving Barisan was an “internal Umno matter”.
If this really happen, what will Fairus do to defend himself and whether is it true or only a political game who wants the pose as a Deputy Chief Minister.
FROM THE STAR NEWSPAPEREarlier stories:Deputy Chief Minister’s post offered to Arif ShahCM: Let PKR deal with FairusDCM slams critics asking him to quit
