SHAH ALAM, Nov 19 — A Selangor government lawmaker has poured cold water on Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s hopes of returning as menteri besar, saying it is far more likely for the Hulu Kelang assemblyman to regain his role as state opposition leader.
Kota Damansara assemblyman Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim said this during a brief exchange with Azmin at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting, while debating Selangor’s revenue sources.
Izuan’s comment came after Azmin criticised the state government for allegedly relying too heavily on land-related revenue, before expressing hope that he would return to lead the state administration “in the near future”.
“I believe Hulu Kelang will return to this Dewan, not as menteri besar, but as the opposition leader. He won’t be coming in here (to the government bench), so be patient.
“Maybe not next term, maybe not even the term after that, we don’t know yet,” Izuan said in jest when debating the 2026 Selangor Budget, drawing amusement from assemblymen.
Earlier, Izuan said the opposition’s criticism of the state’s supposed overreliance on land tax and premium collections was misplaced, noting that Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari has already lowered this dependence by identifying new revenue streams.
He noted that under Azmin’s leadership, land-related revenue made up 74 per cent of Selangor’s total income in 2015, 78.1 per cent in 2016, 81.7 per cent in 2017, and 77.5 per cent in 2018.
In comparison, Izuan said land-related revenue accounted for only 64.8 per cent of the state projected income for last year and 68 per cent this year. The figure for next year is expected to drop to as low as 60 per cent.
Azmin then argued that during his tenure, Selangor was still rapidly developing, with plenty of land yet to be utilised, unlike today where land development in the state is almost saturated.
“Obviously, the main revenue source for the state back then would be from land premium or taxes. It has been almost 10 years since (I was menteri besar). Hopefully, I will return in the near future,” Azmin said.
Izuan said Azmin’s explanation did not refute the fact that Selangor has lowered its reliance on land tax and premiums.
“I would like to inform Hulu Kelang that even as land availability (dwindles), the Menteri Besar introduced the First Selangor Plan (RS-1) to unlock land potential in the northern corridor.
“Although I admit there are areas that can be improved, this is the direction in which Sungai Tua (Amirudin) is steering the state,” Izuan added.
