City council secretary made new Ipoh Datuk Bandar

The Star

IPOH: After a month of speculation, Ipoh city council secretary Roshidi Hashim has been announced as the new mayor.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who announced it Friday, said Roshidi's appointment took effect on July 1.

"With this announcement, it will put to rest all speculations," he told reporters Friday after chairing the state executive councillor meeting at the state secretariat here.

On the appointment of a deputy Datuk Bandar, Nizar said he would leave it to the new Datuk Bandar to decide.

Roshidi, 52, was the council's secretary since July 2006. He also worked as an Anti-Corruption Agency's prosecution officer for 15 years.

Prior to his appointment as council secretary, he was the private secretary to former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Tajol Rosli Ghazali.

When contacted, Roshidi expressed surprise over his appointment as Ipoh's eighth Datuk Bandar.

He however declined to comment further as he was still waiting for his appointment letter.

The Ipoh mayor's post fell vacant following the retirement of Datuk Mohamad Rafiai Moktar early last month.

Speculation had been rife that Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran was keen to fill the post but the suggestion had been shot down by several quarters.