Decision to bar Federal directors draws flak

By Sylvia Looi, The Star

IPOH: The Federal Government’s decision to bar its directors from attending state-level meetings with immediate effect has drawn flak from the state assembly speaker.

Describing the move as laughable, V. Sivakumar said there are many meetings in the state which required the attendance of Federal officers.

“The state has never barred Federal officers from attending our meetings, why is the Federal Government barring their officers from attending state meetings?,” he said.

“Does this mean Federal officers would not be attending the coming state assembly sitting?” he added.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was quoted as saying on Wednesday that the move was to cut off the Pakatan Rakyat state government from access to Federal agencies.

Sivakumar reminded Zahid that the Perak state government was democratically elected by the people.

“This was not a coup,” he added, urging Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step in.