Penang’s DCM Fairus is on leave, likely to be back Monday

Controversial Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin has taken leave for the rest of the week but should be back by Monday unless he extends the leave, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
“I was informed by (PKR de facto leader) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday (on Thursday) that Fairus had asked for leave. Although it was sudden, I approved the leave at Anwar’s request,” he said on Friday.
Lim said no reasons had been given for the leave, and no one would be assuming his deputy’s duties in his absence as it was a normal and short leave.
“He is on leave at least for this week, and he should be back to work by Monday unless he requests for an extension,” he said.
When asked about Fairus’ whereabouts, Lim suggested that the press tried to contact him to find out.
He also reiterated that Fairus had not been sacked and there were no plans for now to replace him.
Speculation arose that Fairus had been asked by Anwar to vacate his post.
The issue surfaced when the party started probing allegations by a member that two senior state party leaders were working with local quarry operators to cover up illegal activities.
Lim was speaking at a press conference at his office, held after Friday’s state executive council meeting. Of the three PKR leaders in the state exco, only Law Choo Kiang was present.
Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, who time and again had been speculated as a possible replacement for Fairus, was in Indonesia for the annual Medan Fair in his capacity as state Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman.
Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy also announced that the state executive councillors unanimously decided at the exco meeting that they would not invite a particular daily to cover their respective press conferences with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, state Gerakan secretary Ong Thean Lye, who is also a Gerakan central committee member, said in a press statement Friday that Lim and Anwar appeared to be “passing the buck” on the issue of Fairus’ position as Deputy Chief Minister I.
“Lim had stated that he had not sacked Fairus while Anwar did not give a firm answer when asked by reporters on Fairus’ status.
This gives the public the impression that neither Anwar nor Lim want to make a firm decision on the matter,” said Ong.
He said it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister to appoint or sack the person holding the deputy chief minister’s post but the dragging of the issue seemed to suggest that Anwar was the “real” boss.