Local councillors and village heads to know fate today

JOHOR BARU: While the fate of exco members from the Pakatan Harapan government has been decided, the fate of other political appointees, such as local councillors, village heads and community leaders will only be known today.

The Pakatan coalition – which ruled at the federal level and the state government in Johor – collapsed on Feb 24 after former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, left the coalition.

Political appointees such as press and political secretaries, special officers including state executive councillors were immediately terminated.

Agriculture, Agro-based Industries and Rural Development chairman Datuk Samsolbari Jemali said that so far no changes had been made.

“We will discuss this matter at the first new exco meeting on Wednesday (today).

“The Rural Development Ministry has issued a statement to postpone any issues related to the Village Community Management Council.

“We have not decided anything regarding the positions (of councillors, village heads and community leaders) and it will only be brought up during the meeting,” he said here yesterday.

When asked whether there were any political officers whose contract were terminated since Feb 29, he said that he was unaware of the matter and the decision was from the mentri besar’s office.

According to a source, only those with grade 29 and below are being spared while all employees above the grade have been let go.

At least five political positions each from the previous Pakatan exco members have either been terminated or changed to another position, said sources.

Source: TheStar