DAP guns for PKR whip Johari
(The Star) GEORGE TOWN: The DAP is gunning for the head of Johari Kassim, who led eight PKR councillors in boycotting the swearing-in of the Seberang Prai Municipal Council president on Thursday.
State exco member Chow Kon Yeow said PKR should evaluate Johari’s position as a councillor.
“As the PKR whip in the council, he should lead the councillors but his action showed he had a personal agenda,” he told reporters after launching a gender equality workshop here yesterday.
Chow said the state government would not hesitate to take action against the councillors.
He said it could revoke the appointment of councillors under Section 10 (4) of the Local Government Act.
“But for now, we will let PKR deal with the issue,” he said.
On Thursday, eight of the nine PKR councillors boycotted the swearing in of North Seberang Prai district officer Mokhtar Mohd Jait as council president.
Johari, who is also a state PKR liaison committee member, claimed that the seat had been promised to the party during a Pakatan Rakyat council meeting in January.
Chow, who is state DAP chairman, said that the question of miscommunication did not arise as the party had told Pakatan Rakyat leaders on Jan 3 that it was not ready for a politician to be appointed to the post.
On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman said he would accompany Johari to meet Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to resolve the issue.
Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi said Johari’s position was no longer tenable as he had openly defied the state government.
“Johari has made wild allegations that DAP had agreed to reserve the post for PKR. This is a plain lie.
“He has also openly criticised the state government and Lim, in his capacity as a councillor. This proves his insubordination and indiscretion,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Ooi, who is chief of staff at the Chief Minister’s Office, said Johari’s apology was a PKR internal matter which did not excuse his insubordination to the state’s leadership.
“It is up to PKR to put its house in order and we will leave it to them to deal with him,” he said.
“We hope Johari resigns voluntarily but if he does not, the state exco should review his position and have him sacked,” he said.
Ooi said state DAP backbenchers had sent a memorandum to Lim, Mansor and Chow, seeking the review of Johari and the seven PKR councillors.
When contacted, state PKR chairman Zahrain Mohamed Hashim ruled out the resignation of the eight councillors.
“We have made our stand that they need not resign. This matter is now up to the state government. It was a miscommunication and the councillors deeply regret their action,” he said.
Zahrain declined to comment on Ooi’s statement.
