Saturday, July 5, 2008

Roshidi is new Ipoh mayor - The Star

IPOH: Jul 5, 2008

After a month of speculation, Ipoh city council secretary Roshidi Hashim (pic) has been named the new mayor.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who announced this yesterday, said Roshidi’s appointment took effect on Tuesday.

“This announcement will put to rest all speculation,” he told reporters after chairing the state executive councillor meeting at the state secretariat here yesterday.

On the appointment of a deputy Datuk Bandar, Nizar said he would leave it to the new Datuk Bandar to decide.

Roshidi, 52, was the council secretary from July 2006 and also worked as an Anti-Corruption Agency prosecution officer for 15 years.

Prior to his appointment as council secretary, he was the private secretary to former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali.

When contacted, Roshidi expressed surprise over his appointment as Ipoh’s eighth Datuk Bandar.

He however declined to say anything further as he was still waiting for his official appointment letter.

The Ipoh mayor’s post fell vacant after Datuk Mohamad Rafiai Moktar retired early last month.

Speculation had been rife that Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran was keen to fill the post but his interest was shot down by several quarters.

On another matter, Nizar said that up to May 31, landowners owed the state RM140mil in quit rent.

“We appeal to the defaulters to pay up so we can increase the state’s coffers and help the people,” he said, adding that advertise-ments would be placed in newspapers to remind the defaulters to pay up.

“The district land office will also send reminders to the landowners,” he said.

To a question, Nizar said the state would not hesitate to take back the land of owners who refused to pay up, as there were provisions un- der the law allowing the state to do so.

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