KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Transport Datuk Dr Jerip Susil (pic) has refused to comment on the status of his application to join Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition party.
Dr Jerip has remained partyless after he resigned from Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) last month. He was the party’s former deputy president. Despite being partyless, he retained his portfolio as Transport Assistant Minister in a minor state Cabinet reshuffle recently. Dr Jerip said the Transport Ministry was a new ministry created in line with the chief minister’s wish to develop an efficient transportation system in tandem with the rapid growth of urbanisation.
He thanked Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for giving the mandate to the newly appointed Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin whom he described as a very experienced person.
Lee has held several portfolios in the past such as Assistant Minister for Tourism, Land, Air Transportation and Safety (2016-2017); Assistant Minister for Sports and Communications (20092016) and Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communications (2004-2009).
“Both of us have some fair knowledge of transport so we’d like to thank the chief minister for giving us the mandate and trust to helm the new ministry,” he said to reporters after a swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed ministers and assistant ministers at Astana Negeri here, yesterday.
On August 23, Abang Johari announced that Dr Jerip has applied to join Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and his application was being considered. Prompted for comment, Dr Jerip said, “(I will) let the chief minister talk about it.”
