Storm in a teacup at Seberang Perai Municipal Council
By Wong Choon Mei, Suara Keadilan
A storm in a teacup has blown up in Penang over the appointment of a civil servant to head the Seberang Perai Municipal Council, rather than a PKR political appointee.
It resulted in eight PKR municipal councillors boycotting this morning’s swearing-in ceremony of new president Mokthar Mohd Jait.
These were Johari Kassim, Che Mat Hashim, Amir Ghazali, Mahamad Hashim, Rynu Shanmugam, Goh Choon Aik, Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar and Zaini Awang.
Their hasty action drew an equally hot-headed reaction from DAP’s Jeff Ooi.
The Jelutong MP has demanded that all eight resign within 24 hours if they could not work with Mokthar as they have claimed. Jeff is also chief of staff to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
“This is a classic storm in a teacup. There is no reason for both sides to behave as they have done,” Sim Tze Tzin, the Pantai Jerejak assemblyman told Suara Keadilan.
“For example, there was was no need for Johari to lead such a boycott and take it directly to the press. All he had to do was pick up the phone and voice his grouses. In the end, we still have to work on it, there is no shotgun answer.
“As for Jeff, he is an MP. There was no need to be so heavy-handed. Again, there is the telephone. He could have called and arranged a meeting to sort it out. Why demand their resignations in the press?”
The PKR is expected to hold a meeting tomorrow to help the eight sort out the issue.
There has been widespread speculation that Johari, the PKR whip who led the boycott, has been eyeing the MPSP post for himself.
“Whatever it is, there was an agreement that the post should go to a PKR appointee, although it is also true that the situation has evolved because of some unexpected developments,” said Tian Chua, PKR director of strategic affairs, dismissing the talk about Johari.
“Nevertheless, the boycott this morning was just a small gesture and part of the democratic process that we promulgate. There is really no need for the DAP to make a such big fuss. We should all try to resolve the matter amicably and I am sure we will.”
