Porr man must not hold post in council: DAP
DAP has joined in the public outcry over the appointment of the executive chairperson of Penang Outer Ring Road (Porr) concessionaire Peninsular Metroworks Sdn Bhd (PMWSB), Ahmad Ismail, as alternate chairperson of Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) Building and Planning committee.
Its chairperson Lim Kit Siang said today that Ahmad must choose between being executive chairperson of PMWSB or MPPP councillor, "as he cannot be both without compromising the Penang state government and the MPPP in the ethics and principles of urban good governance".
'The impropriety of Ahmad Ismail's MPPP appointments is so fundamental and clear-cut than even school children can see that it is outrageous for the executive chairman of the controversial PORR concessionaire to be a MPPP councillor and even worse, an alternate chairman of its Building and Planning committee, which must make important decisions affecting PMWSB", he said in a statement.
DAP has joined in the public outcry over the appointment of the executive chairperson of Penang Outer Ring Road (Porr) concessionaire Peninsular Metroworks Sdn Bhd (PMWSB), Ahmad Ismail, as alternate chairperson of Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) Building and Planning committee.
Its chairperson Lim Kit Siang said today that Ahmad must choose between being executive chairperson of PMWSB or MPPP councillor, "as he cannot be both without compromising the Penang state government and the MPPP in the ethics and principles of urban good governance".
'The impropriety of Ahmad Ismail's MPPP appointments is so fundamental and clear-cut than even school children can see that it is outrageous for the executive chairman of the controversial PORR concessionaire to be a MPPP councillor and even worse, an alternate chairman of its Building and Planning committee, which must make important decisions affecting PMWSB", he said in a statement.
Double standards
The appointment, Lim said, is adding salt to the wound of anti-Porr Penangites who are already offended by his most improper and outrageous appointment as MPPP "super councillor".
He urged Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon to explain the double standards in MPPP appointments in being so sensitive to objections, and anonymous ones, to the appointment of a MCA MPPP councillor but utter contempt to valid and even iron-clad objections by many quarters in Penang on Ahmad's appointment to the MPPP Council - especially as there is a clear conflict of interest in Ahmad's role in PMWSB and MPPP.
Yesterday, the Central Ad Hoc Action Committee Against Porr urged Penang Umno to nominate another councillor from Umno as the alternate chairperson of MPPP Building and Planning committee.
Not convinced
Its coordinator Linda Lim said the group was against Ahmad as he was also the PMWSB executive chairperson.
She said her committee was not convinced by the explanation of Koh and Ahmad, who is Bukit Bendera Umno chief, that there would not be any conflict of interest with the appointment.
"We were shocked to learn of Ahmad's appointment last week", she added.
Linda said that if the MPPP post is always given to Umno, it should go to another Umno councillor who has no ties with Porr.
