PKR councillors boycott swearing-in

The majority of PKR's Seberang Perai (MPSP) councillors today boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of their new president Mokthar Mohd Jait.

According to PKR whip Johari Kassim, eight of the party's nine councillors had refused to attend this morning's event in Bukit Mertajam.

Apart from Johari, the others were Che Mat Hashim, Amir Ghazali, Mahamad Hashim, Rynu Shanmugam, Goh Choon Aik, Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar and Zaini Awang

Only Farid Arshad defied the boycott order.

The boycott was called in protest of the appointment of a civil servant to head MPSP.

The vexed councillors claimed that it was agreed previously that a politician would be put at the helm as and until local elections are introduced.

Trouble is brewing

Trouble is clearly brewing among the Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners over what is being perceived as Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's decision to appoint former Northern Seberang Perai (SPU) officer Mokhtar as the new MPSP president.

Mokhtar was formerly a M54 grade public officer.

Meanwhile, Johari accused Lim of ignoring PKR and acting as if "he was running a DAP, and not a Pakatan coalition, state government."

He said Lim should have consulted Pakatan partners before deciding on who shall be appointed for the president's post.

"After all, Pakatan's collective stand was to appoint politicians as council presidents," he said, referring to the state Pakatan council’s decision made early this year.

In January, the Pakatan council decided to appoint politicians to helm both MPSP and the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP), reasoning that it would be a step forward towards restoring the third vote - the local government elections which had been suspended since mid-1960s.

In a subsequent arrangement, DAP was alloted the MPPP president's post while PKR took the MPSP position.

PKR has already decided to nominate its state deputy leader, Mansor Othman, as the MPSP president.

Lim passes the buck

At a press conference after the ceremony, Lim said he was unaware of the boycott and instantly passed the buck to newly-appointed deputy chief minister 1 Mansor to clarify the issue.

Mansor acknowledged that he noticed the absence of some PKR councillors at the function.

He said he would raise the matter with state PKR chief Zahrain Mohd Hashim to enable the state liaison committee to initiate a probe.

Yesterday, Mansor had announced Mokhtar's appointment as MPSP prresident.

Meanwhile, Lim likened the protest against Mokhtar's appointment as a protest against Mansor's announcement.

"It's not logical for PKR supporters to be unhappy with Mansor's announcement," he said.

However, Johari accused Lim of not taking responsibility for his action.

"Mansor joined the state exco only yesterday. Surely he would not be able to influence a state decision made long before he was elected as the Penanti assemblyperson.

"The chief minister is running away from his responsibility and trying to hide behind Mansor," he said.

Asked why the state government did not comply with the Pakatan council’s decision for a political appointment, he said the state executive council made the decision to appoint civil servants to helm councils after deliberating on the issue.

The chief minister also said he had informed PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail on Mokhtar's appointment during the Penanti polling day on May 31.

"The protesting PKR councillors do not sit in the exco. So obviously they won't know what transpired. They should not behave like excos if they are not," said Lim.

Since Mansor was new to the state exco line-up, he said the councillors should seek clarification from PKR’s two other excos - Abdul Malik Kassim and Law Choo Kiang.

At the press meet, state exco in charge of local government affairs, Chow Kon Yeow clarified that the state exco decision was never referred to the Pakatan state council.

Not the first time

When contacted, an upset Zahrain said he would first consult Mansor and Johari on the controversy before making a statement.

"Obviously there is disgruntlement among PKR councillors. I will investigate first before making a public statement," he told Malaysiakini .

Johari however did not mince his words in blasting Lim for not having the courtesy to consult or clarify with PKR on a major government decision, and pointed out that "this was not the first time it had happened."

He asked whether DAP would agree if the PKR-led Selangor government were to make decisions without consulting the party.

"I agree that as chief minister, Lim has the prerogative to make decisions. But this is a matter which he should first talk to PKR.

"We have demanded the MPSP president's post from day one. Now we have been betrayed," said Johari.

Although he stopped short of blaming Mansor for the fiasco, Johari said at least the newly-appointed DCM 1 could have delayed the announcement on Mokhtar.

"It's nothing personal against Mokhtar. It's about PKR’s political stand," he said, adding that he would seek clarification on the issue from Mansor during the PKR state meeting on Friday.

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