Cage Of Monkeys Ex Johor Mb Ticks Off New State Speaker

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Former Johor menteri besar Hasni Mohammad has ticked off the state's newly minted assembly speaker Mohd Puad Zarkashi, telling him not to play on sentiment.
This was after Puad on Thursday advised the Johor state assembly to maintain decorum and not treat the sitting like a "cage of monkeys" (sangkar beruk).
"The Johor assembly speaker should not say such things even if it is just a reminder.
"As the speaker and an assemblyperson, it would be best if he can provide guarantees and emphasis to his near-term action plan to strengthen the state's democratic institution.
"In the context of his position - political reform, strengthening the people's trust in the democratic institution and political leaders are more important than playing on 'derogatory' sentiments," Hasni said in a statement on Facebook.
The phrase sangkar beruk was used by Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar during his address to the state assembly in August last year when he reminded its members that the august House was not a cage of monkeys.
Johor state assembly speaker Mohd Puad ZarkashiPuad, who is the Rengit assemblyperson, said he was just repeating the monarch's advice.
"Is reminding (the assembly) of this advice derogatory?" he said in a Facebook post.
He also questioned why Hasni had to quote a news portal when he was in the assembly at the time and asked whether the ex-menteri besar was asleep during the session.
In last month's Johor polls where BN won 40 out of the 56 state seats, the coalition had campaigned on the promise of retaining Hasni as the menteri besar.
However, after winning the election, BN was unable to secure royal assent for Hasni to be reappointed as the menteri besar.
Instead, Machap assemblyperson Onn Hafiz Ghazi was sworn in as the new menteri besar. He is the great-grandson of Umno founder Onn Jaafar. - Mkini

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