Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president and state Housing Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg has blamed Kuching North City Hall for the dismal turnout of Malay voters during the recently concluded state election.

Abang Johari said City Hall's poor public relations was one factor for the low turnout of Malays in many Malay majority areas in Kuching.

A long-standing and contentious issue is the tough stance taken by City Hall on the illegal hawkers in Malay areas such as Jalan Astana.

But a City Hall official, who requested anonymity, said that Johari (left) should know how to solve problems faced by the constituents and not blame others for the fall of Kuching to the opposition during the recent polls.

New rep snubbed

Meanwhile, newly-elected Padungan state assemblyperson Dominique Ng Kim Ho found out that even being an elected representative doesn't make meeting the mayor any easier.

Ng had spent the past six month trying to meet mayor Hamid Yusof over various issues faced by many people.

Hamid's secretary had previously informed Ng that the mayor would be at his office the whole afternoon yesterday. Thinking that the meeting would finally happen, Ng along with his supporters and aggrieved constituents arrived at the mayor's office yesterday..

But instead of giving Hamid an earful on problems faced by his constituents, Ng was instead caught in a shouting match with a City Hall senior official who told him that the mayor was out on official business.

After the verbal jousting was broken up by security guards, Ng told malaysiakini that the official had been "very rude".

"I have even written twice seeking an appointment. He has not even replied. I also made numerous requests by telephone calls," he said.

Ng said the mayor was doing a disservice to the government and constituents by adopting such an attitude, adding that the matter would be raised at the next state legislative assembly sitting.