No council appointments in Perak yet - NST

IPOH: Jun 10, 2008

Where are the local councillors in Perak? Many are asking the Pakatan Rakyat state government this question as none has been appointed despite it being three months since the March 8 general election.

Adding his voice to the issue was the People's Progressive Party (PPP) National Youth chief, Senator T. Murugiah, who said the tripartite alliance had not got its act together.

"This goes to show the Pakatan Rakyat is inefficient although it has been in power for three months."

Murugiah, also deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said it was wrong to ask people to apply for the post as Pakatan Rakyat had done.

"They should identify qualified people to be appointed as councillors. It is wrong to ask the public to apply for the posts because it is not the same as applying for a job in the civil service."

He said the right people had to be appointed as the job carried a heavy responsibility and there was a need to interact with the public.

"How can the public accept the delay? The Ipoh City Council cannot function or implement policies without a council meeting."

The state government has allocated 100 out of the 349 councillors' posts in 15 local authorities to the public. The rest will be filled by political appointees.

Nearly 2,500 people, including doctors and lawyers, have applied to become councillors and will be interviewed from this week.

State Transport Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming said recently that only 207 out of 349 BN-appointed councillors had quit.

He had also said termination letters would be sent to councillors who had yet to quit.