Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir said the appointment of a mayor should be based on merit and the qualification of the person and not because of race.

"For the post of mayor, we have to go along with who ever is appointed and should not go into specific such as Malay, Chinese or Indian.

"If this is the case, then we can never stop from being race-based. A qualified person should be appointed based on merit," he told a press conference after handing over 'bubur lambuk' to civil servants at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan today.

MCA president Liow Tiong Lai had suggested that the Chinese should be appointed as mayor or deputy mayor in Chinese majority areas such as Ipoh and Johor Bahru.

A local Chinese newspaper quoted Liow as saying that he made the suggestion to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak recently.

- Bernama