Under pressure: Johor MB out of favour with Sultan
PH leaders questioned Osman’s purchase of a property valued at more than RM1 million for his third wife, which they feared would become a point of contention.
AHMAD FAIRUZ OTHMAN AND SYED UMAR ARIFF, NST
DATUK Osman Sapian is being pressured to step down as menteri besar due to several factors, but it was a recent “falling out of favour” with the Johor palace that has set things in motion for him to relinquish his post.
The New Straits Times has learnt that it was his most recent controversy, which came after a string of highly-publicised missteps involving the state government leadership, that caused displeasure on the part of Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
A source said Osman’s handling of the Sungai Kim Kim pollution crisis last month, in which 5,848 people had to seek treatment after inhaling toxic fumes from the river, raised eyebrows within the Johor palace.
The menteri besar’s performance has been scrutinised for several months, and it seems that the palace is not happy as Osman had ignored a request to present the ruler with an economic blueprint for the state.
“It has been said that the sultan expressed displeasure because he (Osman) has yet to present any blueprint for Johor’s economy. There is no direction. The sultan had asked for this blueprint for some time now, but the state government has delayed it until today.
“But the straw that broke the camel’s back was the Sungai Kim Kim case last month, when Osman courted controversy by leaving the state at the height of the pollution crisis to go to Batam, Indonesia.
“It looked as if the state government took a back seat in the crisis as it did not announce any allocation. Instead, it was the sultan who announced a RM1 million allocation.
“These incidents caused the ruler to lose faith in him,” said the source.
The state government needs to address several issues in the aftermath of the crisis.
A group of 120 residents in Pasir Gudang said on Sunday that it had initiated a suit against the state government, Department of Environment, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Pasir Gudang Municipal Council and the factories for negligence in the case.
The same source also said Osman was pressured by the top brass of Pakatan Harapan.
He said PH leaders were disappointed that Osman “lied” about his academic qualification following a controversy that made headlines in February.
He said they questioned Osman’s purchase of a property valued at more than RM1 million for his third wife, which they feared would become a point of contention.
“He bought this property as a menteri besar and it is believed to be valued at more than RM1 million. Such a purchase does not look good for his position in a top public office.”
If Osman steps down as menteri besar, all eyes will be on possible candidates to replace him.
Insiders in Johor have narrowed the possibility to two executive council members — Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal, 44, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) Bukit Kepong assemblyman, and Youth, Sports and Culture Committee chairman Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar, 51, who is PKR’s Semerah assemblyman.
The name of state Works, Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Mazlan Bujang, who is Bersatu’s Puteri Wangsa assemblyman, had also been mentioned since November.
Sentiments on the ground reveal that there is a preference for someone from Bersatu to replace Osman due to its dominant role as a Malay-based party in Johor.
PH holds a two-thirds majority in the 56-seat state assembly with 39 seats as opposed to Barisan Nasional’s 16 seats and Pas’ one seat.
Of the 39 PH seats, DAP has 14, followed by Bersatu (11), Parti Amanah Negara (9) and PKR (5).
“The menteri besar must be from Bersatu because Johor is a Bersatu state,” said another source.
However, the NST was told that a meeting among PH bigwigs on Sunday discussed the issue of candidates for the Johor menteri besar post.
The source said PKR was keen on Khuzzan due to his rapport with the Johor palace in his work in the youth and sports portfolio.
However, PKR yesterday said the party would leave the selection of Osman’s replacement to Bersatu’s top two leaders.
“Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has conveyed to (Prime Minister and Bersatu chairman) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and (Bersatu president) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last week that PKR supports Dr Mahathir’s and Muhyiddin’s decision on the Johor menteri besar issue,” said PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil.
Those familiar with Johor palace affairs said that any appointment of a menteri besar would need the consent of Sultan Ibrahim. However, the ruler is currently overseas on a private trip and will return only on Friday.
Palace sources in Johor said no preparations were made for any appointment ceremony of a new menteri besar.
Osman arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Johor yesterday and held a 20-minute meeting with Dr Mahathir at the Prime Minister’s Office here in Putrajaya.
It is learnt that Osman entered the compound of the building at 3pm. However, his meeting with Dr Mahathir began only at 5.45pm.
Reporters, who were gathering outside the building’s main gate to wait for Osman, were unable to meet him.
He gave reporters the slip when he exited with his motorcade through another gate.
Osman’s press secretary, Abdul Hakim Ab Rahman, said: “The meeting between the menteri besar and the prime minister took 20 minutes starting at 5.45pm.”
Osman will spend the entire day attending the 9th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat in Putrajaya today.
As Johor menteri besar, he is required to attend the retreat as issues related to both countries directly affect the state.
The Johor constitution stipulates that the sultan of Johor is required to appoint a menteri besar who must be a Malay and Muslim.
It mentions that the menteri besar is required to preside over the Executive Council.
Members of the council must take the oath of office and allegiance, as well as the oath of secrecy, in the presence of the sultan before they can carry outtheir duties.
Osman, 67, is the Kempas assemblyman.
