PETALING JAYA: Segamat MP Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar has been appointed as the first leader of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia's associate wing, says Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

       The Bersatu secretary-general said the party's supreme council had unanimously agreed to Santhara Kumar's appointment at a meeting chaired by president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Wednesday (Sept 29).

       "The Bersatu supreme council congratulates Santhara Kumar on his appointment and believes that he will be able to attract more participation from associate members and further increase support for the party," Hamzah said in a statement posted on his Facebook page Thursday (Sept 30).

       Santhara Kumar, who is Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, was the first non-bumiputra MP to join Bersatu in August last year.

       Hamzah also said that at the meeting, the supreme council congratulated Muhyiddin on his appointment as chairman of the National Recovery Council.

       "Bersatu thanks Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for the appointment and is confident that this will help the government plan and implement policies and initiatives to help the country recover from the Covid-19 pandemic," he said in his post.

       The Bersatu supreme council also congratulated Ismail Sabri and the government on the tabling of the 12th Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Sept 27).