‘Unseen forces’ trying to undermine BN-PH ties in Johor, says Umno man

 Johor Umno secretary Abdul Halim Suleiman says certain PH leaders are deliberately kicking up a fuss over the appointment of village chiefs and councillors to score political points.

Johor Umno secretary Abdul Halim Suleiman dismissed suggestions that Pakatan Harapan assemblymen were being unfairly treated by the Barisan Nasional-led state government.

PETALING JAYA:

 An Umno leader claims that unseen forces are attempting to undermine ties between the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan chapters in Johor by harping on the appointment of village chiefs, councillors, and positions in GLCs.

Johor Umno secretary Abdul Halim Suleiman said certain PH leaders were deliberately raising the issue of the “distribution” of such posts between the two coalitions despite the fact that there were specific processes and considerations within the state administration when it comes to such appointments.

Halim said while the elected representatives from BN and PH worked well together, hidden forces were at play.

He singled out a leader who he said had been raising such issues to score political points.

“This gives the impression that ties between the two coalitions are strained,” he told FMT.

Halim also dismissed suggestions that PH was being unfairly treated, and pointed out that in some cases, Umno or other BN leaders were not allocated any funds by PH MPs.

“There is this one PH parliamentarian who has never helped an Umno assemblyman when it comes to carrying out programmes or allocating funds for the constituency,” he said.

He said the RM3 million to RM4 million MPs receive is often used to fortify their positions in their respective parties.

Halim said that even though no one from PH was appointed as a village chief, councillor or to a GLC, its assemblymen were treated fairly.

“PH assemblymen receive allocations from the (BN-led) state government, yet no one mentions this,” he said. “Why focus only on being appointed as village chiefs or councillors?”

In January, Johor PH chief Aminolhuda Hassan lamented that PH’s exclusion from the state administration was evident at the grassroots level, with no PH representatives appointed as councillors or village heads.

Aminolhuda also proposed a “free-for-all” contest at the next Johor state election, arguing that it would be the best way out of the impasse over electoral cooperation with BN in the state.

He said allowing all parties to contest the seats they were eyeing would avoid the confusion surrounding unity government arrangements seen at the federal level. - FMT