Who is Amirudin Shari, the New Selangor MB?

After a long wait, the identity of the new Selangor Menteri Besar replacing Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has finally been revealed.

The man is Amirudin Shari, a 37 year-old state assemblyman of Sungai Tua, a father of six and a football fanatic, judging from his tweets.

The State Exco holding the portfolios for youth, sports and entrepreneurship development, rural and traditional development, Amirudin also manages the Football Association of Selangor (FAS).

It was in 2016 when Azmin first handed over the reigns of the Selangor football team that thrust Amirudin to the fore. He was entrusted with the task of cleaning up the off-field affairs of the one of the best football teams in the country faced with the scourge of corruption.

Amirudin was one of the three names proposed to the Sultan of Selangor for the post of Menteri Besar, but Azmin had backed Amirudin all the way.

Despite another name having cropped up – 70-year-old state assemblyman Dr Idris Ahmad, Amirudin seemed to be the favourite as the obstetrician and gynaecologist was said to have not been active politically.

The other candidate was Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin, state assemblyman of Seri Setia.

According to fellow state assemblyman Mohamed Hilman who has known Amirudin for decades, the Sungai Tua state assemblyman has the right qualities to lead Selangor.

“His easy going character, his readiness to admit mistakes and his openness which he has shown throughout the time I have worked with him, proves that Amirudin is the right man for the job.

“Amir is a man who does not talk much and a very good listener. At the same time, he is a man who makes calculated decisions and when he had made a decision, he will stand firm to that. He also does not condone corruption of any kind and has a very clean slate. These are the traits he share with Azmin,” says Hilman who is now the Gombak Setia assemblyman and a former aide of Azmin.

He further said that despite Amirudin’s youth, he is the most senior of the excos and is also a senior PKR leader at the state level, respected by all.

“He is an Azmin loyalist, but what matters most is that he has the ability, integrity and credibility to continue with the execution of all the programmes for the state of Selangor as planned. However, that does not mean he is not his own man - he is also a man with many ideas and during the past Selangor budgets, he was one with many ideas for the betterment of the people.

“His portfolio also allowed him to work with youths and he has brought in many young faces to the fore in many capacities. He also has the right temperament to work with people of all races and religions, having been an activist,” says Hilman.

Amirudin was with Institut Kajian Dasar, an NGO-cum-think tank which studies policies on issues facing the country, before he joined politics full time.

Hilman adds that it is not only him who thinks Amirudin will do Selangor proud as the MB.

“Almost everyone who knows Amirudin will say he is the right man to replace Azmin,” says Hilman.