LABUAN: Umno Deputy Chairman Datuk Bashir Alias has been reappointed Chairman of the Labuan Corporation Advisory Council, ending a six-month wait for the seven vacancies in the Council to fill up.
Bashir, a former Senator, had served as Labuan Umno Division Chairman and fielded as the party’s candidate in the last general election but lost to Bersatu’s Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman by a narrow margin.
Also appointed as a Council member is Umno Wanita Chief Niswati Tarji.
But it is understood that both Bashir and Niswati would not be able to attend the official letters of appointment presentation ceremony as they would be away for the Umno assembly in Kuala Lumpur.
According to a Labuan Corporation (LC) notice to five others appointed Council members, the recently appointed Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Lo Su Fui would present the letters to them at Wisma Perbadanan on Jan 17 (Sunday).
They will serve for a two-year term, effective from Dec 1, 2025 to Nov 30, 2027.
The other appointed are Datuk Seri Tiong Chiong Kui (Labuan Megah Port Management Chief Executive Officer), Datuk Wira Dr Ramli Tahir (Amanah), Datuk Wong Kii Yii (Chinese Chamber of Commerce), Seah Kiat Leong and Haziq Ruslain from PKR.
Wong, 70, sets the record for serving in the Council for the 8th term.
Former MIC Chairman Datuk Ramasamy Rengasamy expressed deep regret over the lack of Indian representation in the Council.
“Though our numbers are small, we contributed significantly to the island and played an important role in PKR’s success in the last general election. We should not have been set aside,” he said.
He added that there were many professional Indians in the island qualified for the job.
He noted that there were Indian councillors when the local authority was the Municipal Council previously. “Why not now?” he asked.
Ramasamy said there is also a need to expand the Advisory Council membership to make it more inclusive.
