NOT EVEN A WEEK IN OFFICE, JOHOR MB SHOWS HIS ARROGANCE: DEFIANT OSMAN ‘HOPES’ PRIVATE SECRETARY’S APPOINTMENT NOT MADE INTO ISSUE EVEN AFTER TICKING-OFF FROM PARTY CHIEF MUHYIDDIN

JOHOR BARU – Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian said he hoped that the appointment of Fizwan Rashidi as his private secretary is not made an issue, as the decision was made after taking into account several factors.

Osman said the appointment of the former Kota Tinggi District Council president was made after consultation with State Secretary Datuk Azmi Rohani and several other senior government officials.

He said Fizwan, who is also a Johor civil servant (JCS), had vast experience as he had served as private secretary to several mentris besar prior to this.

“He is not under political appointment and as a JCS, he usually does not hold any position in any party as he is independent and bound by the post.

“So, if people want to say he is an Umno man or this and that, I cannot stop them. But for me, this decision is not 100 per cent made by myself. I had requested this (the appointment) also because I need to start work quickly,” he told reporters here, today.

According to Osman, picking someone who had no experience would be troublesome, as this was a new state government which needed to carry out a lot work in an urgent manner.

He said this when commenting on allegations that Fizwan was closely linked to Barisan Nasional and was believed to be an Umno member, causing discomfort among certain quarters.

Meanwhile, Osman said the state government would ensure Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) pledge to give 10 cubic metres of water (residential) per month to the Bottom-40 (B40) target group for free, would be implemented as soon as possible.

On the state executive council line up, he said 50 per cent of the councillors were below teh age of 45.

He added that the people of Johor could look forward to a much brighter future ahead with PH at the helm of the state.

Johor a bastion of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno fell to Pakatan Harapan in the general election on May 9. The BN also lost power at the federal level and is now left with only two states in the peninsula namely Perlis and Pahang. PH took seven states and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur while PAS Kelantan and Terengganu.

— Bernama