1,000 visitors a day at Seri Bendahara
By R. S.N. MURALI and ROSHIDI ABU SAMAH malacca@thestar.com.my MELAKA: Seri Bendahara, the Chief Minister’s official residence in Ayer Keroh, has been getting at least 1,000 visitors on certain days since it was opened for public viewing on May 15.
Visitors are allowed until June 14 from 9am to 4.30pm daily.
Describing the response as overwhelming, Chief Minister Adly Zahari said: “Some people asked me why the decision was made because it is strange and never done before by the previous state governments.
“All this is done because we want the people to see and experience for themselves the life of the leader they have chosen in the past elections,” he said during the state government’s staff monthly gathering at Dewan Seri Negeri in Ayer Keroh yesterday.
It was his maiden speech to public servants since taking office last week.
Present were state secretary Datuk Roslan Ibrahim and the 10 state exco members.
They were state Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman Tey Kok Kiew; G. Saminathan (Unity, Human Resources, NGOs and Consumer Affairs); Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Agriculture, Entrepreneur Development and Agro-Based Industry); Low Chee Leong (Health); Kerk Chee Yee (Communications, Multimedia, Youth and Sports Development); Muhammad Jailani Khamis (Tourism, Heritage and Culture); Ginie Lim Siew Lin (Women, Family Development and Welfare); Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen (Industry, Trade and Investment); Noor Effandi Ahmad (Education, Science and Technology, Green Technology and Innovation) and Mohd Sofi Abdul Wahab (Works, Transport and Public Amenities).
Adly said no deputy exco members were appointed as the state government wanted all the exco members to focus on their responsibilities as well as to reduce its expenditure.
He also reminded the state civil servants, including contract wor- kers, to be prepared for exchange or transfer.
“The exchange or transfer is unavoidable as the move is to ensure the smooth administration of the state and for the benefit of all parties,” he said.
Meanwhile, former chief minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said Seri Bendahara existed before he took office in 2013.
He said the official residence was constructed in 2004 and it was meant to host foreign dignitaries on official visits.
“We received thousands of visitors to Seri Bendahara. Even kampung folk from rural areas were invited for events at Seri Bendahara previously,” he said yesterday.
Idris said access to Seri Bendahara, which was opened to the public every Friday then, included the area meant for foreign dignitaries.
It was unfair to say that the door was kept closed under his administration, he said.