exclusive!

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will appoint a special assistant to advise him on matters relating to the Chinese community, sources told malaysiakini today.

The sources also revealed that another appointment, that of Nanyang Siang Pau deputy chief editor Cheng Khee Chien as a press secretary to the prime minister, is in the process as well.

Cheng will be the first Chinese press secretary to Mahathir.

According to the sources, the appointments are being made in order to bridge the widening gap between the Chinese society and the government.

"He (Mahathir) feels the distance between the government and the Chinese society is widening," said a source, who added that the special assistant will have a legal background.

The appointments are likely to take effect from June, said the sources.

The sources pointed out that the appointment of a Chinese affairs advisor to Mahathir will be a blow to the MCA as the party has always been the link between the government and the Chinese community.

No decision

When contacted by malaysiakini , Cheng confirmed he had been contacted by the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) over the appointment but said "I have no idea about the post which I will assume".

Cheng, 46, who has been the Chinese daily's deputy-editor since 1998, is also unclear on what his job function would be.

"I believe I will have to learn from the prime minister on what I should do," said Cheng who is scheduled to meet JPM officials in Putrajaya tomorrow.

"Only tomorrow will I have a better understanding of my new post," he said, adding that he was only contacted by the prime minister's department concerning the matter last month.

When asked when he would leave Nanyang Siang Pau , Cheng insisted that he had not made a decision about accepting the post yet as he needs to find out more about it.

He added that he will only make a decision when he receives an offer letter from the Public Services Department.

Community's grouses

In recent months, the Chinese community has been dissatisfied with various government issues and policies, the latest being the controversy over the education quota system. Many of its top scoring students were rejected by the universities, or given places not of their choice.