Johor makes changes to controversial Housing and Real Property Board Bill

(The Rakyat Post) – The Johor Housing and Real Property Board Bill, to be tabled tomorrow at the Johor Assembly, will include amendments, specifically on the role of the ruler.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the amendments were made after the state authorities took into consideration the reactions of various parties, while at the same time preserving the system of constitutional monarchy.

“There will be amendments made, specifically that the role of the ruler would be on the advice of the Menteri Besar, especially on the appointment of the board members.

“What is most important is that the other sections (on the role of the ruler) will be deleted.

“Only that (the appointments) concerning the role of the ruler to appoint (the board members) with the advice of the Menteri Besar.

“The others will be replaced by the ‘state authorities’,” he said in the winding-up speech of the debate at the Johor State Assembly here today.

Mohamed Khaled said the amendments were also being made to show that the state government was sincere in setting up the board and did not want it to seem that the executive power was being handed to the ruler although the contents of the new enactment was similar to that in the Act at the national level.

He said it was incredible that the Bill, which would be tabled tomorrow, had been criticised as though the ruler would have absolute power over the board or had executive power when all the provisions in the Bill were similar to that for the setting up of the Johor Corporation (JCorp) before this.

Mohamed Khaled stressed that the provisions in the enactment would not be against the principle of constitutional monarchy as it was read together with the state Constitution, which states that the action taken by the ruler would be upon the advice of the Menteri Besar.

“If the Johor enactment is against the Constitution, then all the federal acts are also against it.

“So, we hope with the amendment, there will be no more problems as what the state government is doing is for the good of the people.”

The Johor government had earlier been reported as stating that it would table the Bill to form the board tomorrow which, if passed, would see the involvement of the Sultan in the administration of the state government.

The move had created doubts and reactions from various parties.