YOURSAY | 'Harapan off to a bad start with Osman Sapian’s gaffe.'

Depriving funding remark not 'final decision' - Johor MB

RedHero: Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian seems to still have a lot of Umno DNA in him. Unless he changes drastically in the next 100 days with the right decisions and statements, or is kept in line by others in Pakatan Harapan, he should be replaced by someone of much higher calibre.

Remember, the rakyat is watching.

Anonymous 2319461440035118: The issue of denying opposition lawmakers allocations should not have been mentioned in the first place. Why is it that it is not final? Does he mean that it is still on his mind, and that he is still thinking about it?

Quigonbond: What a joker, can’t even say he made a mistake. His party president Muhyiddin Yassin just asked him to correct the gaffe. So just say it out loud instead of trying to keep his pride intact. This is a totally bad start.

It’s not so much of what he said. It's his attitude. It's one of inequity, when the first instinct is to punish instead of being fair – just like Umno.

Anonymous Malaysia 2018: In a true democracy, the opposition leader should be accorded recognition. He or she should be given an office, staff, car and other facilities befitting an opposition leader.

Another important point is that all state assemblypersons should be equally funded for their work on the ground. To deprive them of funds is morally wrong. So it matters not whether that person is from Harapan or BN or PAS or even independent. Be fair to all! Work with that spirit in mind.

This should apply to all states, without exception. We should never punish the opposition. They are elected by the people; they are the voices of the people. Why don’t you try being a gentleman instead?

Anak Kampung: It is true that many Malaysians voted to get BN out, rather than to get Harapan in. It is true that the unholy alliance was always going to be fraught with danger, with Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the helm, and a race-based party like Bersatu in the mix - especially now that they are taking in so many ‘jumpers’ who were kicked off the gravy train.

It is true that this is just the first step, that should have been taken decades ago, and true democracy will only come in the future.

And yet, knowing all of this, why does Harapan make it so easy for us to be disappointed in them?

Apa Ini: Let’s give him and other Harapan candidates a hundred days at least.

Mano: This MB says "Five years ago, I was not in the Dewan to hear the proceedings, so I have to gather feedback from previous assemblypersons, then I will bring the matter up in the exco meeting."

Well, we were not in the assemblies of Selangor or Penang either, and yet we still read of how fair the state governments were. Stop spewing, just say you are sorry. Or is that too much to ask, as it is for BN representatives?

Anonymous_20f13320: The PR task ahead of him was simple. Just announce allocations for all assemblypersons, regardless of party.

What a bad start. The first day on the job, and he’s already talking about salary, insufficient funds, and denying allocations. This is bad governance, plain and simple.

Dr Suresh Kumar: Looking at Osman, I think Johor will be given away on a silver platter to Umno in the next general election. Bersatu, don’t you have any better candidates?

AnonYmOUs: Allocations aside, what about the statement he made about his management of finance and land matters? Could be another ousted former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in the making.

Francis_14a3: Good luck Johoreans.

Muhyiddin instructs Johor MB to make right his gaffe

Clever Voter: The new Johor menteri besar is now being seen as leftover from the previous BN administration. He should not repeat the same mistake of ignoring the opposition.

Indeed, the Harapan administration should walk the talk by encouraging an effective opposition as a check-and-balance. Muhyiddin is right to advise his people to do what is right, as a new beginning not a hangover from yesterday.

Anonymous_1420346063: The choice ahead of Harapan after May 9 was so simple – Johor Harapan vice-president Salahuddin Ayub for menteri besar. We struggled and saved from BN, and Harapan seems to be throwing it back to BN. Totally disappointing.

Simple Truth: The selection was a poor choice. A big job for an established state like Johor should not be entrusted to a rookie.

What were you guys thinking? Why give three names for the sultan to choose from? He hardly knows their credentials?

The choice should have been for a mature politician, with integrity, wisdom and righteousness. This can be seen in their past performance. Disappointing!

Anonymous_e6188eda: Osman cannot hold two portfolios because he is in breach of the mandate the people of Johor have handed to him. Harapan landed the victory partly also because of the pledge to the people, to forbid one person from holding so much power in two ministerial portfolios.

This will set precedent for all the other Harapan ministers to justify going down the same path. The people don't want this to continue in the new administration.

MahuSeeLui: This old BN mentality must be confined to the rubbish bin. If the new Harapan politicians cannot adopt a policy of respect for the rakyat, then they are doomed to fail, and the tsunami would have been in vain. So govern for all Malaysians regardless of who they voted for.

Anonymous 1802761448130592: Thank you Muhyiddin for voicing out our concerns. The new Harapan government should in no way, hopefully, accommodate and adopt the toxic politics of the previous regime which all Malaysians fought so hard to get rid of.

In the same line of thought, may I caution Harapan, especially Bersatu, to be very, very careful when accepting crossovers from BN.

Some of them, I believe, are incorrigibly corrupt, and it will be disastrous if they are allowed, surreptitiously, to plant their cancer in Harapan. Worse still, that cancer can mutate and can be even more deadly than before.

Che Guevara: True, the rakyat have made their decision. But it's you, Muhyiddin, and Bersatu who proposed Osman for menteri besar. A verbal running down wouldn’t work. That's Umno culture too. Remove him before the situation worsens – that should be the Harapan way.

N1: The newly elected government will need to work with existing establishments and some of the foreign agreements already undertaken by the previous government.

Any review done on mega projects must be carried out with care without creating uncertainty to the market.

It is also important for the state government to show the supporters that there is a fair allocation of portfolios among the component parties. Checks and balances must be established to prevent corrupt practices.

Anonymous_e6188eda: To all Harapan leaders, whatever you think, say, do, plan, you execute and implement, at any given time, must be congruent with your written pledges and manifesto to the people.

This universal guideline is straightforward, simple, no excuse for not adhering to it. There were also scores of people who have voted for Harapan in the constituencies where BN won. Regardless of ethnic origin and past political leanings.

Demi Rakyat: Osman will make even former menteri besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin seem like a better choice. How unfortunate.

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