“Sng has shown his capability and ability when he was an assistant minister (prior to the April 16 polls).” Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah
KUCHING: PRS president Tan Sri Dr James Masing, who is normally very vocal, was tight-lipped yesterday when asked to comment about former Pelagus assemblyman Larry Sng’s return to the state’s administration.
“Sng is no longer a PRS member and I have nothing more to say about him. We sacked him for reasons which are public knowledge,” Masing said in an SMS to thesundaypost.
The Land Development Minister added that Sng’s appointment was the sole prerogative of Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.
It was reported yesterday that Sng would soon return to work in the Chief Minister’s Department.
“He (Sng) will be in charge of youth affairs,” Taib told reporters on Friday.
Taib said the reason he wanted Sng back was because of the latter’s good experience working with youths and that he is “a good guy who did very well previously”.
Meanwhile, chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said he only knew of this development from the newspapers.
Karim said although the practice of appointing a non-elected representative to become a Minister or Assistant Minister had been abolished, unlike in Parliament, it remained the prerogative of the Chief Minister, as the state chief executive, to appoint Sng.
The Asajaya assemblyman cited the case of Tan Sri Adenan Satem who was recently appointed as Special Function Minister even though the Ministerial quota had been filled.
Karim said he believed Sng’s inclusion was a good move as “Sng has shown his capability and ability when he was an assistant minister (prior to the April 16 polls).”
Describing Sng as talented, Karim said it would be a waste if such talent was not roped in to help develop the state.
Meanwhile, a politician who did not want to be named said Sng’s appointment as advisor did not mean he would be sitting in the State Cabinet.
“The Chief Minister can nominate someone to the Cabinet but not to sit in the Cabinet. To be in the State Cabinet meeting you must be an elected member of the State Legislative Assembly.
“That was the case when Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr Wong Soon Kai was appointed as advisor sometime ago. As in the case of Tan Sri Adenan Satem, when he was appointed a Special Advisor, he could not join the Cabinet meeting although he is an ADUN (state assemblyman). He only joined after he was appointed full minister,” he said.
Sng could not be reached for comment yesterday. Nonetheless, his Facebook page was filled with congratulatory messages on his upcoming appointment. It is believed that he is not in the state or could be outside the country.
Sng’s political drama started in 2007 when he was sacked by PRS for insubordination, but continued to hold three portfolios – Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office, Social Development and Urbanisation Ministry (Youth Affairs and Training of Youth), and Industrial Development Ministry (Planning).
He was not renominated by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to defend Pelagus in the 10th state election as he was partyless.
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