NEWLY appointed Malacca Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusof said he will consult Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on forming a unity government in the state, similar to the federal government.

“I will consult my party president first to understand his way forward, and I will take his advice in forming the new state executive council,” he told reporters at his maiden press conference as chief minister today when asked if Pakatan Harapan assemblymen will be inducted into the state executive council.

Ab Rauf said he will make the economy his top priority and vowed to continue programmes initiated by the previous state administration.

“In order to boost the economy, I vow to make Malacca business- and investor-friendly,” he said.

He said the executive council line-up will be announced within 48 hours, reported Bernama.

The Tanjung Bidara assemblyman was sworn in as Malacca’s 13th chief minister this afternoon.

He took his oath of office before Yang Dipertua Negeri Mohd Ali Rustam at Seri Negeri at 3.33pm in a private ceremony, with his predecessor Sulaiman Md Ali, state assemblymen, MPs and heads of department present.

Sulaiman, who remains Lendu assemblyman, resigned yesterday, midway through his second term as chief minister. He was first appointed on March 9, 2020, and again on November 21, 2021.

A one-term assemblyman, Ab Rauf, 62, won the Tanjung Bidara seat in a tight three-cornered contest, gaining 3,599 votes against Perikatan Nasional’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (3,195 votes) and Pakatan Harapan’s Zainal Hassan (489 votes) in the last state elections.

He was appointed state Investment, Industry, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman in Sulaiman’s second administration, having served as Malacca assembly speaker during Sulaiman’s first administration.

Ab Rauf, who has been Malacca Umno liaison committee chief since 2018, was reelected to the Umno Supreme Council during this year’s party polls and retained his Masjid Tanah division chief post unopposed. – March 31, 2023.