By Tony Pua, MP for Petaling Jaya Utara

DAP Selangor welcomes the appointment of the state assemblyman for Bukit Antarabangsa, Azmin Ali as the new Menteri Besar of Selangor which brings to an end a unnecessary and frustrating protracted political crisis in the state.

While DAP Selangor is gravely concerned over how the will of the majority in the state assembly has been trampled upon, it is equally important that we end the political crisis swiftly so that we can resume normal service to serve the people of Selangor.

Hence, DAP Selangor and our state assemblymen will give the fullest support and cooperation to the new Menteri Besar to ensure that we maximize the opportunity over the next 3 years to prove to the people why the crisis and their patience is worth the while.

With the appointment of Azmin Ali, the new Government has been given a fresh start to succeed where the previous administratrion has failed, and to achieve a higher level of success than Pakatan Rakyat did in the first 5 years of our administration from 2008-2013.

DAP Selangor looks forward to an administration led by Azmin and the new Exco line-up which is more consultative, inclusive and people-centric to fulfill Pakatan Rakyat’s promises to the people. We believe that by working as a team, Azmin Ali will be able to take Selangor to greater heights by making it the best-run state in the country.

As a Government we must adhere to the highest standards of accountability and transparency, by implementing policies such as fully competitive tenders and disclosure of assets. We must be a government with zero-tolerance for corruption and cronyism by punishing the guilty and promoting the clean and competent.

We must also ensure that our elected representatives, councillors and civil servants, particularly in the local councils listen to the rakyat they serve, instead of sitting on the high pedestal. As an administration which opposes the abuse of power and clamp down of civil liberties by the Barisan Nasional Federal Government, Selangor must prove itself to be a beacon of hope by actively implementing our democratisation policies.

At the same that we hope that under Azmin’s leadership, the Government will steer away from getting ensared in operating businesses. It is not the business of Government to be in the business of making profits. The best Government is one which creates the most conducive environment for businesses to thrive. Instead we believe that the state government and its GLCs can be restructured to re-focus on aspects which are neglected by profit-making enterprises, such as affordable housing and better transportation infrastructure.

We believe that if the new administration is able to achieve the above in the next 3 years, the certainly Azmin Ali will go into history as the best Menteri Besar Selangor has ever had. It is only with the proven track record will the rakyat agree to renew our mandate in the next general elections.