Penang Watch

Selangor's CM is right to say that it is difficult to `select' Councilors from some many who want the job-so why not hold an election for the people to choose then? That will close the mouth of the `party warriors' who may not be able to hold themselves in a ppular poll! Then the selected Councilors are given a study tour to Singapore even before they start work! This even go ebyond the previous regime which `reward' the Councilors to overseas trip(complete with belly dancing treat) after they deliver their job. Are we going forward or back ward here? Is n't it better if the Councilors are voted -then we know if the residnets approve of such `job' done by the Councilors?  

June 25, 2008 23:28 PM      

A Tall Order To Satisfy Request For Positions By Party Members, Says MB

SHAH ALAM, June 25 (Bernama) -- Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim Wednesday said it was tough to satisfy all the request by some members of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to be elected as the new local council members in the state's 12 local authorities.

"I think we can conclude not all will be happy but we try our best to select the most reasonable representatives for our local governments," he told reporters after chairing the state executive councillors meeting, here Wednesday.

He said this when asked to comment on grouses by some groups in PKR why some of the party members were not selected as the new 288 local council members.

It was reported Wednesday that more than 100 PKR members gathered outside their de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's office in Petaling Jaya Tuesday to voice their dissatisfaction because they were not appointed as the new council members.

Abdul Khalid said that was why the appointment of a council member was only for a year so that the opportunity to become a council member could be rotated among the party members.

He said to select council members among the PKR members was quite complicated such as in Ampang, where there were three PKR divisions and each division would want to see the division head, the Youth chief and the Wanita chief to be appointed as council members.

Abdul Khalid said since PKR was a multiracial party, he also needed to take into account the racial balance in the council members' representation apart from the gender balance in his list.

Meanwhile, he said the state government planned to invite all the local council members to attend a briefing and a swearing-in ceremony on July 5 which would be carried out in stages.

He also said 37 delegates comprising local council presidents and mayors as well as the heads for landscape departments from the 12 local governments in Selangor would be on a study trip to Singapore beginning Thurs until this Saturday.

-- BERNAMA