PADANG TERAP: Kedah Umno liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the chairman position in the State Development Action Council is meant for leaders in the government administration.
As such, Mahdzir said only a minister or a deputy minister could be appointed by the federal government as co-chairman in the council.
However, he said the federal government may consider appointing those from outside the administration as the deputy chairman.
"As far as I understand, based on directive number one at the federal level, the chairman of the council must be someone from the government administration.
"That means the person must be either a minister or a deputy minister and currently, the chairman is Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in his capacity as a member of the administration.
"However, if the federal government has an option to appoint those outside the administration as the deputy chairman, it is up to the federal to decide," he said during a press conference at the Padang Terap Umno division's Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house in Padang Kerasak here today.
For record, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor and Saifuddin are the co-chairs of the council.
Mahdzir, who is also Padang Terap Umno division chief was responding to Kedah Umno Information chief Datuk Shaiful Hazizy Zainol Abidin's call for the federal government to remove Sanusi from his position as the council's co-chairman.
He has urged the federal government to appoint Madzhir, who is also former Kedah menteri besar to replace Sanusi in the council.
