The Star reported today on the sacking of officers in the "Unit Hal-Ehwal Bukan Islam Negeri Perak' ( Non-Muslims Affairs Unit) by the Umno-led Perak state government. This news was also verified with a reliable source this morning. It seems the termination letter dated Feb 12, 2009 informed the four staff of their termination effective Feb 6, 2009.
What is shocking is that the affected staff just reported for work at the Unit only in early Jan 2009. That's slightly more than one month on the job! Is that part of a political witch hunt since these officers were appointed by the PR government and the Umno government may not want any part of that. It must be an octane high job hazard if you are employed by the Perak state government. You can be sacked anytime without any reasons thereof, or maybe one - your appointment was endorsed by political rivals! Just curious who else was or will be sacked by the state government since Zambry's assumption of the MB post? The true colours will be sharper soon.
The Unit for non-Muslims Affairs in Perak established by the Pakatan Rakyat state government was one of it's kind in Malaysia which employs full-time paid staff to handle issues related to non-Muslims like the construction of places of worship for non-Muslims. The Unit was based at a state government office outside the State Secretariat in Ipoh. The staff has been reporting for work until last Friday.
Even states with large non-Muslims citizens like in Penang, Selangor and Johore do not have similar set up. Although states like Selangor and Penang have some sort non-Muslims affairs committee, it is just a special committee which do not have similar authority and financial support like the one in Perak.
Earlier report on Umno-led Perak state government retaining the non-Muslims Affairs Committee in charge by MCA's Exco Dr Mah Hang Soon confirmed suspicion that this arrangement may just to placate the increasing concerns of the non-Muslims on the unbalanced exco line-up in Perak.
The next question is whether the Unit will be disbanded totally or new officers will be appointed by the Umno-led government? If the Unit is disbanded, will that send a message to the people that MCA's Dr Mah Hang Soon role in the state government is just to fill his party's political quota. Nothing else. Period.
If that's the scenario, the recent appointments of Gerakan's deputy president Chang Ko Youn and MIC's vice president S Veerasingam as the Menteri Besar's Adviser for Chinese Affairs and Indian Affairs respectively can be assumed just to fulfill Gerakan's and MIC's quota.
If new officers (maybe deemed friendly to Umno) are appointed to the Unit, will they too be sacked if Umno lose the state government to PR in the next two or three months? Maybe the four sacked staff can bring the Umno government to court? The more the merrier since everybody is either making police reports or bringing their grouses to courts in relation to the political crisis in Perak. - Loka
Sunday February 15, 2009
State stand on sackings, Mah told
IPOH: The Perak Pakatan Rakyat has challenged state executive council member Dr Mah Hang Soon to declare his stand on the sacking of four civil servants from the non-Islamic affairs unit on Feb 6.
“As the chairman holding the portfolio of non-Islamic affairs, Dr Mah should resign in protest over their dismissals.
“Unless it was Dr Mah’s decision to terminate their contracts,” former senior exco member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham told a press conference yesterday.
Ngeh, who is also state DAP chairman, claimed the four civil servants were relieved of their jobs without reason on Feb 6 after Barisan Nasional took over the state government.
“They should be given back their jobs as they have experience in running the unit,” said Ngeh, adding that politicians would come and go but civil servants should stay on.
He added that the unit was formed when Pakatan Rakyat came into power last year after the general election.
“I also challenge Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir’s advisers, Datuk Chang Ko Youn (Chinese affairs) and Datuk S. Veerasingam (Indian affairs), to show their displeasure by stepping down from their posts over this,” said Ngeh.
On the suit filed against Dr Zambry, he said Pakatan would drop the suit if the latter agreed to seek consent from the Perak Sultan to dissolve the state assembly.
State stand on sackings, Mah told
IPOH: The Perak Pakatan Rakyat has challenged state executive council member Dr Mah Hang Soon to declare his stand on the sacking of four civil servants from the non-Islamic affairs unit on Feb 6.
“As the chairman holding the portfolio of non-Islamic affairs, Dr Mah should resign in protest over their dismissals.
“Unless it was Dr Mah’s decision to terminate their contracts,” former senior exco member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham told a press conference yesterday.
Ngeh, who is also state DAP chairman, claimed the four civil servants were relieved of their jobs without reason on Feb 6 after Barisan Nasional took over the state government.
“They should be given back their jobs as they have experience in running the unit,” said Ngeh, adding that politicians would come and go but civil servants should stay on.
He added that the unit was formed when Pakatan Rakyat came into power last year after the general election.
“I also challenge Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir’s advisers, Datuk Chang Ko Youn (Chinese affairs) and Datuk S. Veerasingam (Indian affairs), to show their displeasure by stepping down from their posts over this,” said Ngeh.
On the suit filed against Dr Zambry, he said Pakatan would drop the suit if the latter agreed to seek consent from the Perak Sultan to dissolve the state assembly.
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