Marina Ibrahim appointed special officer to oversee Orang Asli welfare in Johor

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 6 — Marina Ibrahim, the former Skudai assemblywoman, has been appointed as a special officer to oversee the welfare of the Orang Asli community in Johor. This appointment, made by the Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi through the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation (YSIJ), was approved with the consent and decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia.

Alongside Md Israk Abdullah, the Rural Development executive councillor, Marina will now lead the efforts to ensure the well-being of the Orang Asli.

Marina, when questioned about her appointment, emphasized that it was not a political move. "This appointment was made with the consent of the Sultan of Johor for me to fulfill this responsibility," she stated, adding that she is not affiliated with any political party. Marina, with her background in volunteer work for the Orang Asli community, expressed her readiness to take on this major responsibility, focusing on positive changes in education and economic empowerment.

Her initial plan is to visit the communities next week to gather insights on the issues affecting them, which will then be directly relayed to the state government for appropriate action. Marina, a former member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), was the Skudai assemblyman after winning the 2022 Johor State Election. However, she decided not to contest the seat in the last state election and subsequently withdrew from politics.