Johor Mb And Dr M Have Private Meeting In Putrajaya

---

PUTRAJAYA: Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian had a private meeting with the Prime Minister after speculation swirled that he may have to step down
Osman and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) here on Monday (April 8)
The Mentri Besar was said to have arrived at 3.30pm for the meeting scheduled an hour later
However, it is understood that Osman only got to see the Prime Minister at 6.20pm.
PMO officials confirmed the meeting between Dr Mahathir and the Mentri Besar.
On Sunday (April 7), speculation mounted that Osman's career was in jeopardy when word got out that the Prime Minister was set to meet Osman at his office in Putrajaya on Monday.The meeting comes ahead of Dr Mahathir having to receive his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at the Ninth Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat
When contacted on Sunday, Osman’s press secretary Abdul Hakim Ab Rahman downplayed the meeting, calling it a “scheduled meeting”
“The Mentri Besar wanted to meet the Prime Minister to discuss matters on preparations for the retreat
“There will be a pre-council meeting for the delegation and a dinner in conjunction with the retreat,” he said, adding that early preparations for such meetings were the norm
“Don’t believe the rumours,” Abdul Hakim added
It is understood that the Johor palace was dissatisfied with the way Osman handled the Sungai Kim Kim toxic gas contamination, which saw the closure of 111 schools in Pasir Gudang
Should Osman have to go, among the contenders for the post are Johor Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal, who is from Bersatu, and State Youth, Sports and Culture Committee chairman Mohd Khuzzan Abu Bakar from PKR.Osman, who is also the state Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Pakatan Harapan chairman, is under pressure following a series of missteps since assuming the Mentri Besar post, the latest of which was the federal government’s proposed Ship-to-Ship transfer hub project in Johor Baru earlier this month
Following criticism that Putrajaya had bulldozed the project, Dr Mahathir said Osman was well aware of the planned development
The Kempas assemblyman was also heavily criticised when he went to Batam at the height of the Sungai Kim Kim toxic gas contamination crisis
There has also been talk of a recent housing scandal involving the purchase of a property with huge discounts.- Star

---