JOHOR BARU: Johor DAP has rejected allegations by Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi that a proposed appointment involving one of its elected representatives amounted to political bargaining ahead of the state election.
Puad had alleged that DAP offered a position in a government-linked entity to Skudai assemblywoman Marina Ibrahim in exchange for electoral cooperation.
The allegation followed the circulation of a letter purportedly showing Marina rejecting the offer.
In a Facebook post, Puad claimed the proposed chairmanship exposed what he described as a contradiction in DAP's long-standing criticism of political appointments.
"DAP has often condemned political appointments in GLCs as unethical and non-reformist. But now, it appears they are doing worse," he said.
Johor DAP vice-chairman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, however, disputed the characterisation of the issue.
He said the discussion involved a statutory body rather than a government-linked company (GLC).
"There is a clear distinction between statutory bodies and GLCs," he said.
Sheikh Umar explained that statutory bodies are established through Acts of Parliament or state enactments to implement public policy objectives, while GLCs are companies incorporated under the Companies Act 2016 with the government as a major shareholder.
He said the suggestion raised by Johor DAP chairman Teo Nie Ching was intended to enable capable individuals to contribute to public administration and policy implementation based on merit and track record.
According to Sheikh Umar, such appointments should be viewed in the context of governance and institutional effectiveness rather than political bargaining.
He also cited Mara chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki as an example of a public institution leader whom he described as proactive in advancing Bumiputera education and entrepreneurship initiatives. - NST
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.