COLOMBO : Leading lawyer and President’s Counsel, Ali Sabry was appointed Minister of Justice on Wednesday. He was sworn in by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa along with other 28 cabinet ministers and 39 state ministers at the historic Magul Maduwa (Audience Hall) of the Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy with the participation of many dignitaries.
Sabry who was also appointed as President of the Muslim Federation of the Sri Lanka Podujana Permuna, was heading the campaign to woo Muslim votes for the SLPP. Sabry was a one time diplomat, serving the nation as its Consul General in the Sri Lankan Consulate Office in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Sabry, who has been nominated as a member of the new parliament under National List of the SLPP was analyzing how the members of the Muslim community responded to the call of the SLPP to fall in line with the mainstream of politics instead of the religious party politics.
To mark the victory of the SLPP, Sabry was accorded warm receptions in Muslim areas in Colombo such as Aluthkade, Grandpass, Maligawatte, Modera,Kolannawa and Hulsdorph on Saturday. National Organizer of the Muslim Federation A.L.M Uwais Hajiar also took part in the victory celebrations.
“ We were able to get between 35 and 40 percent of the Muslim votes since they realized that Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government would give them a better deal,” Sabry said,adding that Muslims in Kalutara,Beruwela, Weligama, Bandaragama,Colombo, Kandy and Kurnegala supported the SLPP this elections. He lamented that the Muslim turn out in the north and the East was poor since the SLPP being a new party would take time to take roots in that soil and also that the SLPP candidates were amateurs.
Attributing reasons for the resounding success and the enhanced response from the Muslim community, Sabry said during the brief regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa, people realized that he was the only person in the country who could deliver the goods well. Morever, he added, the government’s combat program of the Covid-19 impressed the entire nation that this is the ideal government with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President and Mahinda Rajapaksa as premier to serve its people for peaceful coexistence and make them live in peace, harmony and prosperity. “ The combination of President and Premier was not only cordial but also proved people that such partnership could even run without the parliament,” he stressed.
“ We are encouraged by the support of the Muslims to the SLPP but we will continue to work with them to enhance the cooperation from all areas under the Muslim Federation banner,” he noted.
“ Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa combination has proved successful in running the government, Sabry said, stressing that the continuation of their policies would help the government reach greater heights. It is a great opportunity for the Muslims to join them for the betterment of their community.
“ Sri Lanka’s successful fight against the Covid crisis has set an example to the world with a limited number of 11 deaths and 2039 reported cases, of which 1,678 recovered and only some 350 taking treatment,” the national leader said, attributing the success to the dynamic leadership of President Rajapaksa who has left no stone unturned to make his task successful. “ Sri Lanka’s performance in the fight against the virus has been taken up as a Test Case by international organizations, which is a matter of pride to our nation’s efforts,” Sabry concluded.
