First woman exco member for Kelantan

The PAS-led Kelantan state government today departed from its conservative stand by appointing its first woman exco member.

Kijang assemblyperson Wan Ubaidah Omar, 52, will helm the women and family development, and health committee. The former senator won the state seat uncontested.

Apart from Wan Ubaidah, menteri besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat also introduced two other new faces to the state exco. The line up was announced by deputy menteri besar Ahmad Yaacob today.

On her appointment, Wan Ubaidah, mother of seven and a widow since 2001, said her own experience would help in fulfilling the duties of her portfolio.

The other two new faces are Temangan state representative Dr Mohd Fadhli Hassan and Wakaf Baru’s Che Abdullah Mat Nawi.

Mohd Fadhli will be in charge of information, information technology, science and technology while Che Abdullah will look after agriculture, rural industry and biotechnology.

Of the others, Nik Aziz will be in charge of land, forestry and natural resources while the deputy menteri besar will look after public administration, land and regional development committee.

The Islamist party’s rising star Husam Musa will be looking after economic planning, finance and welfare committee

The state will have 11 exco members, including the menteri besar Nik Aziz.

Retain the NEP

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after chairing the first exco meeting, Nik Aziz said that a common body must be established to ensure the welfare programmes are coordinated in all five states controlled by the opposition.

Hee added that the PAS-DAP-PKR coalition must work hard to fulfil promises in the campaign manifesto for the creation of a welfare state.

“I want to make sure that our promises do not become empty rhetoric and I see that there is some weakness in the programme itself. It will be better if we co-ordinate our efforts with our BA partners so that the implementation will run smoothly," he said.

Nik Aziz also said that the New Economic Policy should be retained but with some changes made to its implementation.

"The NEP, as I see it, is a good policy in principle but its goodness has been tarnished by poor handling and implementation by the wrong kind of people.

“In Islam, anything that is completely bad must be discarded but if it is still good, we will retain it but with changes to suit our needs," he said.

Serving full term

Nik Aziz also denied rumours that he will not serve the full term as the state's menteri besar.

The 77-year-old party spiritual leader said he would continue to serve as the Kelantan menteri besar for the fifth term for as long as his health permitted.

“I'm quite healthy now, (besides) the medicines that I'm taking, many people are praying for my health,” he said.

Nik Aziz's health deteriorated ever since he suffered a heart attack in July 2004.