BUTTERWORTH, 30 June 2009: Several Seberang Perai municipal councillors have described the Penang government’s sacking of Johari Kassim as a member of the council as too harsh.
Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) said the state government could have just suspended Johari as a warning for having led eight PKR councillors in boycotting the swearing-in of the new council president on 4 June.
“This is too harsh, he should have been suspended first,” he told reporters after attending the council meeting here today.
He hoped that the state government would give Johari a second chance.
Kamil was one of the councillors who boycotted the swearing-in in protest of the state government’s decision to appoint civil servant Mokhtar Mohd Jait as the new council president without discussing with PKR.
The state government yesterday announced that Johari’s expulsion was effective Friday, 26 June.
Kamil’s view was shared by another councillor, Mohd Fadzil Kemi of PAS, who said that Johari deserved a second chance, especially after his good performance as the council’s chief whip.
“Johari should first be warned. All this while, he had done a very good job. The move to boycott the swearing-in ceremony was a result of a misunderstanding, not because of his obstinacy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mokhtar said the candidate to replace Johari in the council would be decided by the state government soon. — Bernama
jamesloh18 says
Harsh? [Let’s] get something straight here: he is not under 21. [He has] been in this too many years. [Stop] asking for sympathy. Sacked is mild. He ought be thrown out. One must know the risks one takes.
armstrong says
There is a certain protocol and respect for protest. You don’t protest when it’s [an] official function. If you are in [the] private sector, when there is something going on, could you protest and expect HR not [to] do anything?
Grow up…not only to PKR but to DAP and PAS, too when it comes to dealing with business and protocol.
It may be harsh but if PR doesn’t start to be a disciplined coalition (some will say this is authoritarian, but you need discipline wherever you are), it will end up like BN. Look at [the MPs] from BN during parliamentary meetings.