The Perak Menteri Besar’s official residence in Ipoh may be put up for sale as it is no longer suitable to be occupied, Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu said today.

Faizal said the security aspect was one of the reasons why the official residence could no longer be occupied, apart from its unsuitable location.

“Now several buildings are being erected around the house that it is no longer suitable for a menteri besar to stay, not just me but anyone in the future.

“I have informed the Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah about this matter,” he said in an interview at the official residence of the menteri besar recently.

Furthermore, Faizal said the value of the residential land was fairly high and if it was sold many projects could be implemented such as housing construction for all state executive councillors.

He said the State Economic Planning Unit is currently in the midst of gathering proposals from various quarters on the appropriate projects to be implemented in the area to replace the menteri besar's official residence.

“We will make sure, whatever will be decided, it will safeguard the state’s interests as well as to add value to the people of Perak,” he said.

He said in the event of a new official menteri besar residence to be developed, it would be constructed beautifully and could be visited by many to take pictures as a memento.

The official residence of the Perak menteri besar, located near the Sultan Yusof roundabout, was built in 1962 and completed a year later.

- Bernama