PENANG, 8 April 2009: Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is expected to announce the party’s nominee to fill the post of Deputy Chief Minister I in the next few days.
The seat fell vacant when Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin tendered his resignation as the Deputy Chief Minister on 21 March with effect from today.
PKR state chairperson Datuk Zahrain Mohamed Hashim said he would hold a meeting within the party to discuss the candidate for the post and would meet with the Chief Minister in the next few days.
“We will discuss the matter in the next few days as previously we were concentrating on the triple by-elections,” he told reporters here today.
On speculation that Mohammad Fairus would leave the PKR and become an Independent assemblyperson, Zahrain said he was confident Mohammad Fairus would not do so.
“He (Fairus) is a very responsible gentleman and I believe he would not do such things to PKR,” he said, dismissing any by-election rumour for Penanti.
On 26 March, Mohammad Fairus was picked up by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Johor Baru for questioning on the alleged graft involving a quarry company.
The MACC has also taken statement from Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy to facilitate their investigation into the case. — Bernama
