theSun | MONDAY JUNE 8 2009
news without borders
PKR-DAP ties
tested again
PENANG: The relationship between
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and
DAP in Penang is boiling again fol-
lowing dissatisfaction over power
distribution in the state government
administration.
Although the leaderships of both
parties has denied any strain in their
relationship, dissatisfaction at the
grassroots appears unable to be
contained, triggering reactions that
affect ties between the two parties
with different ideologies.
Just as the crisis between PKR
and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng
in determining a replacement for
deputy chief minister 1 Mohammad
Fairus Khairuddin, who resigned two
months ago, abated, the PKR-DAP
relationship is put to the test again.
This time, it is over the appoint-
ment of the Seberang Perai Munici-
pal Council (MPSP) president.
PKR claimed it had stated its wish
for a politician from the party to be
appointed to the post in the state
government through Pakatan Raky-
at’s (PR) consultative council but the
DAP-led state government said no
decision was reached on the matter
and retained the appointment of a
civil servant to lead MPSP.
Lim’s claim on Saturday that the
move by eight PKR councillors led by
chief whip Johari Kassim to boycott
the swearing-in of the new MPSP
president on Friday was a result of
dissatisfaction of a leader not ap-
pointed to the post. This was almost
immediately refuted by Johari and
state PKR liaison chairman Datuk
Zahrain Mohamed Hashim.
Several months earlier, Zahrain
had said that PKR wanted more
powers and roles in the state
government administration and
its agencies so that it could give
effective contribution to the state
administration.
Universiti Sains Malaysia senior
lecturer Dr Sivamurugan Pandian
said the confusion that happened
No need for exco member
on PKA board: Hwa Beng
SHAH ALAM: Port Klang Author-
ity (PKA) chairman Datuk Lee Hwa
Beng yesterday said there was no
need to place a Selangor executive
councillor to sit on the PKA board to
monitor developments in the Port
Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue.
He felt both the Selangor
government representatives from
the State Economic Planning Unit
(EPU) committee, Datuk Noordin
Sulaiman and Norazmie Biron, who
sits on the PKA board and PKFZ Sdn
Bhd respectively, were more than
enough to monitor and study the
developments in the PKFZ.
“So, for the time being the need
doesn’t arise to place a new exco
member on the board of directors of
the PKA, which has been a practice
of the previous state government
until now. I believe both of them
(Noordin and Norazmie) can report
directly to the mentri besar.
“I am an accountant by profes-
sion and was the chairman of a pub-
lic listed logistics company before I
resigned ... I know the business far
better than anyone else,” Lee told
reporters before handing out prizes
to winners of SP Setia Badminton
Age Group Tournament 2009 near
here, yesterday.
He was responding to a recent
statement by Mentri Besar Tan Sri
Abdul Khalid Ibrahim who said the
state government had the right to
5
was due to the brittle relationship
between the two parties.
“Their cooperation and collabora-
tion are seen strong only on popular
issues but in terms of state adminis-
tration, the points of understanding
have not existed. So, if this situation
continues, it can bring long-term
implications to the PR alliance,” he
said when contacted by Bernama.
He said demands and more
demands by both parties could un-
dermine the strength of the alliance
whose joint intention was only to
topple the Barisan Nasional (BN).
“The fact is DAP, PKR and PAS
have very different ideologies. Their
symbols and struggles are also not
the same. Not just PKR which is
seen as the rebel but PAS has also
started to voice out and demand
equal treatment.
“How long can the PR last if they
do not have a uniform ideology and
how far can a party in the alliance
stand and capitulate to the demand
by the other party?”
Sivamurugan also did not believe
that they were ready to sacrifice
their ideologies and fight on the
same fundamentals because each
party seemed to be trying to show
its own strength and domination.
“The question now is, are they
sincere and honest in participating
in the alliance? Are they willing to
contest under one symbol? The
people have started to question
whether the PR is capable in govern-
ing a state,” he asked.
BN, meanwhile, was formed on
the same ideology and struggles and
the solidarity among its components
is there.
“Even if there are problems, it is
within the component party itself,
but ties with other components
are still strong. If BN can overcome
internal problems in its component
parties, it is seen as a good effort
to restore the people’s support
towards it,” he said. – Bernama
place an exco member on the PKA
board of directors.
Lee also said Transport Minister
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat had extend-
ed the contract of Noordin, who is
also Selangor state EPU director, to
occupy the seat in the PKA board.
Lee who is also chairman of Setia
Badminton Academy said he was
prepared to face any eventuality
including legal suit from any party
pertaining to issues or queries relat-
ing to the audit report on PKFZ by
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
“Don’t forget that PKA is not my
company, it’s a federal agency ... I
will carry out my duty at the best of
my ability ... I represent the federal
government and the money which
was invested in the project came
from taxpayers,” he said adding
the PKA board also comprised
representatives from Transport and
Finance Ministries and the Malaysian
Industrial Development Authority.
Later when met by reporters at a
function near Kuala Selangor, Khalid
said the Selangor exco felt it was
better to place an exco member on
the PKA board.
“Considering the chaos sur-
rounding PKFZ, it is better if we
place an exco, so that decisions
could be made quickly and better
communications can prevail be-
tween the government and PKA,”
he said. – Bernama