5 Things Everyone Should Know About Selangor’s Brand New Chief Minister

So, it’s official guys! Selangor has a new chief minister, and his name is Amirudin bin Shari!

According to Free Malaysia Today, just this morning (19th June), Amirudin Shari was sworn in before Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah at the Alam Shah palace, taking over Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin bin Ali as Selangor’s 16th chief minister. Meanwhile, our former chief minister will be focusing on his new role as the Economic Affairs Minister in Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet.

So, who exactly is Amirudin Shari? Here are just some things you should know about Selangor’s new chief minister;

 

1. He studied social science and was an avid student activist

Prior to joining politics, Amirudin bin Shari studied Social Science as an undergraduate in Universiti Putra Malaysia. During his time as a student, he was also a prominent student activist, and was known for his excellent debating skills.

 

2. Amirudin has been in PKR for 14 years

In his early 20s, Amirudin was actively involved in Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) youth division, and was even appointed as the vice-president of the wing in 2004. He also ran for Youth Chief in 2014.

He later won his first attempt at campaigning during the 12th general election (GE12) in 2008 after running as a young candidate. This was also the election that saw the then opposition coalition overthrowing the Barisan Nasional state government for the first time in Selangor’s history.

 

3. He used to manage the Selangor Football Association

One surprising fact about our new chief minister is that he was also the manager of the Selangor state football team!

He proved to help bring the team to success as manager, with Selangor FA making it to the Malaysia Cup finals two years in a row in 2015 and 2016. Selangor won the cup in 2015. Selangor also emerged as the overall champions for the 2016 SUKMA games. As the football team’s manager, he was also critical of the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) regarding the maintenance of the Shah Alam Stadium.

 

4. The Chief Minister was elected state assemblyman for Sungai Tua 

In the recent 14th general election (GE14), 38-year-old Amirudin won the Sungai Tua constituency (previously known as Batu Caves prior to re-delineation), and became state assemblyman for the third time in a row since his first campaign in GE12. He’s definitely got a lot under his belt in terms of experience, then!

 

5. He has done a lot of work in developing the state’s youth 

On top of being the Sungai Tua state assemblyman, Amirudin was also appointed as the State Executive Councillor for Youth Development, Sports, Cultural and Entrepreneurship Development by former Selangor CM Azmin Ali back in 2014.

During his time as a state exco, he initiated a number of youth-oriented programs and has also encouraged participation in E-sports through competitions like the Selangor International Cybergames.

 

So Selangorians, What are your thoughts on your new chief minister? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Also read: 6 Things You Should Know About Tommy Thomas, Malaysia’s Potential New AG