ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 6 — Former Skudai assemblywoman Marina Ibrahim has been appointed as a special officer tasked with overseeing the welfare of the Orang Asli community in Johor.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said her appointment through the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation (YSIJ) was made with the consent and decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.
“Recently, with the consent and decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, who is also the Sultan of Johor, there is now a new special officer, in addition to Md Israk Abdullah, who is the Rural Development executive councillor overseeing Orang Asli welfare.
“His Majesty has also appointed Marina as the officer responsible for overseeing Orang Asli welfare through YSIJ,” he said in his speech at the closing ceremony of the national-level Orang Asli Sports Carnival at the Educity Sports Complex here today.
Meanwhile, Marina, when met by reporters, stressed that her appointment had nothing to do with politics.
“This is not a political appointment. Instead, it was made with the consent of the Sultan of Johor for me to shoulder this responsibility. Besides, I am not a member of any political party,” she said.
She described the appointment as a major responsibility that she was ready to undertake, drawing on her extensive experience in volunteer activities with the Orang Asli community.
Her main focus is to ensure that positive changes can be implemented for the well-being of the community, while also empowering them in the areas of education and the economy.
“We will not work alone. Instead, we will work closely with government agencies, the executive council and the Johor government to improve and safeguard their welfare,” she said.
Marina said she would begin going to the ground next week to gather information on issues affecting the Orang Asli, which would then be channelled directly to the state government for appropriate action.
Marina, who was previously a DAP member, was the former Skudai assemblyman after winning the seat in the 2022 Johor State Election.
However, she announced that she would not defend the seat in the last state election and subsequently withdrew from politics. — Bernama