The Penang state exco has removed Johari Kassim as councillor of the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) with effect from 26 June.
Johari, the PKR whip at the council, had led a boycott of the swearing-in ceremony of new council president Mokhtar Mohd Jait, a former district officer of northern Seberang Perai. Johari claimed that the Council president’s post was reserved for PKR.
It remains to be seen what effect his removal will have on DAP-PKR relations in the state, although reports indicate PKR leaders have been consulted. Johari’s removal was a stern warning by the state government to the other MPSP councillors who followed him in the boycott, a state exco member was reported as saying.
One critic, however, labelled the sacking as “another indication of the arrogance and authoritarian tendencies” of the present administration.
Part of the problem is that some of the leaders and members of the Pakatan parties still have the BN mentality of viewing appointments to municipal council posts as rewards for faithful service rendered to their respective parties over the years. Such appointments have sometimes even caused discontentment among the parties’ own loyal veteran supporters who may feel they have been overlooked by newcomers ‘parachuted’ in.
To avoid all this unpleasantness, it would much better and more democratic to bring back local council elections, including elections for the post of mayor or council president.
In another development, friends of mine in Taman Merbau in Butterworth, which falls under MPSP jurisdiction, have complained that they were traumatised by the harsh methods used by dog-catchers in the area a couple of weeks ago. “We couldn’t bring ourselves to have our lunch after that,” they told me.
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I don’t understand some of you who thought PKR is in the mess or not doing great things for the people, PKR as far as i am concern are doing the great job otherwise not many land scam and white elephant were found. PKFZ , Selangor,Perak,Kedah and Penang will never know all these money gone to . Now we all knows. BN supporters need a “Reality Check”not PR.
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I say well done LGE. Good riddance of bad rubbish.
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I think this DAP government and LGE will be just a one term government. So much c*** in the PR lead state governments.
Just like a Malay Saying “Paku Dulang Paku Serepih, Mengata Orang, Awak Yang Lebih’.
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Nkkhoo, I have lived in Penang all my 50 years and flash floods have occurred all these times – where were you? And the BN government under Koh Tsu Khoon had access to all the federal funds but did nothing! Now you are whining about LGE not doing anything, very aggressively too. Listen, try again in 2018, after 2 terms yah!
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Don’t think DAP is one term government. At least better than the coward Ong Takut and the corrupted UMNO . Even Mahathir said UMNO is corrupted. hahah!!!
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How could LGE having the guts to dismiss a rebllious staff be compared to the previous CM who dared not even ask for apology when his photograph was torn down and torn and stepped on in front of national TV? Sudahlah NKKhoo…
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If PKR cannot discipline its leader and supporter, then the state exco, through its control of the state administration, should discipline insubordination.
Remember, the state government is responsible to the voters whereas the appointed councilor is only responsible to his party.
It’s for the same reason why a local council election is so important.
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I agree with LGE.
The PKR councillors’ boycott of the swearing-in reeked of UMNO’s ways, where bullying was resorted to. Ransom politics, as someone aptly described above. That is precisely what the UMNO ruffians did to the old CM, who of course kow-towed cos he was merely UMNO’s puppet.
LGE had little choice but to show who’s boss. If the councillors don’t respect LGE personally, they should at least respect the office, the position of the CM. That is what LGE had to establish.
This time around, the appointments in both MPPP and MPSP were not party-based. They were, in the CM’s estimation, the best people available, having risen from the ranks, and having first-hand experience and knowledge of the system and the job on hand. They transcend politics, and are not UMNO-stoogies or PKR_stoogies, or DAP-stoogies. Isn’t this what we all had been hankering for, merit-based appointments that don’t care what colour your skin is or what party you are affliliated with? Those councillors would have brought us back to our medieval past again.
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How interesting it is.
Some think LGE is being decisive. Others think he is arrogant.
But of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. LGE has to make decisions – that’s his job for the next 4 years since he cannot practise as an accountant anymore due to his standing up for the rights of a fellow Malaysian.
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