The Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) will have a new head by the end of the year, ending the controversial appointment of Low Siew Moi as acting head.

khalid ibrahim and selangor state Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said the process of choosing a candidate has begun, with interviews underway. Of the 50 applicants, 12 have been short-listed.

He expressed satisfaction that there are several women applicants, as he had thought that applications would come in only from men.

“However, we will choose the right person not on the basis of gender, but on experience,” he told reporters in Petaling Jaya today.

Khalid had named Low to the post to replace general manager Harun Salim, but this led to objections being raised by six staff bodies of PKNS, on grounds that she is Chinese.

low siew moi Low, 57, an accountant by training, has served PKNS for 35 years with her last post being that of deputy GM for corporate development. She was due to retire as PKNS’ deputy corporate affairs and accounting manager this month.

However, the menteri besar defended his decision and described Low as “the most appropriate candidate”on the basis of her dedication and experience in corporate and financial affairs and asset management.

PKNS is a state agency established in 1964 to help develop Selangor.

‘Not stopping naked protest’

On a separate matter, Khalid was unfazed over a threat by activists to stage a naked protest over the doubling of rent for low-cost housing units.

Activist Ramlan Abu Bakar of Malaysian People’s Reform Movement (Reformis) had said members were prepared to strip off outside the menteri besar’s office to protest the increase.

“Protesting naked is our final act of desperation as the state government is literally stealing the clothes off our backs with this price increase,” Ramlan had said.

“They are not helping the poor people here who barely make enough to afford the present rental of RM124 ringgit, so how can they afford to pay RM250 ringgit?”

housing people Khalid said, however, that the matter has been resolved and that the state government has taken into account the difficulties of occupants.

He said the state government has completed a survey to determine how many people can afford to pay the new rent.

“Those who can’t afford to pay RM250 every month can still pay, say, RM125 or whatever they can afford,” he explained.

Khalid also questioned the rationale of the nude protest. With a laugh, he said he is “not stopping them from going naked”, although he “is not interested in seeing naked people”.

“They (the activists) should show us how to settle this issue. But if they persist on stripping naked, I don’t think that would solve anything apart from attracting people’s attention. Let us think of other ways to settle this issue,” he added.