Opposition Cries Foul After Pahang Appoints 5 Assemblymen

---

 
The five appointments bring the total number of assemblymen in Pahang to 47, including 30 for the unity government. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: The appointment of five assemblymen by the Pahang government has come under fire after four of the appointments were alleged to be “politically motivated”.
Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Cheka) said that when the state constitution was amended in 2020 to allow for the appointment of five assemblymen, the agreed-upon condition was that the appointments must not be politically motivated and should ensure representation from NGOs and minorities.
“But when the list of the five appointees was announced, almost all of them were political figures,” he told a press conference at Wisma Sri Pahang today. “The state’s funds could have been put to better use for development or other pressing issues”.
Utusan Malaysia named the appointees as Maahad Tahfiz Tengku Ampuan Afzan founder Ahmad Irshadi Abdullah Al-Qadri, Temerloh MCA chief Wong Tat Chee, Jerantut Umno chief Haris Salleh Hamzah, Pahang Amanah chief Fadzli Ramly, and Pahang PKR deputy chairman Rizal Jamin.
Tuan Ibrahim also pointed out that none of the appointees were from the Indian community. Currently, Barisan Nasional’s Sabai assemblyman, Arumugam Verappa Pillai, is the only elected Indian representative in the Pahang assembly.
He also called for the appointments of the five assemblymen to be deferred until their specific portfolios are determined.
The motion for the appointments was supported by seven government representatives – Johari Hussain (BN-Tioman), Shafik Fauzan Shariff (BN-Inderapura), Abd Aziz Mat Kiram (BN-Batu Talam), Sharim Zain (BN-Chini), Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (PH-Tras), Thomas Su (PH-Ketari), and Ho Chi Yang (PH-Tanah Rata).
Assembly speaker Sharkar Shamsuddin said the five will be sworn in at the next meeting in August.
The motion to amend the state constitution was passed on November 20, 2020, allowing the state assembly to appoint five assemblymen without an election process.
It brings the total number of assemblymen to 47, including the 42 elected during the 15th general election in 2022.
BN has 17 elected assemblymen and PH eight, making a total of 25 for the unity government. PN has 17. - FMT

---