UPP questions list of key officials in local councils without TYT’s nod

KUCHING: United People’s Party ( UPP) has questioned the intention of Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian in releasing the list of chairmen and deputy chairmen of local councils when the line- up has yet to be approved by the Head of State.

A spokesperson for the UPP secretariat said the announcement on Monday was the second time that Dr Sim had released the list — the first time was not too long ago, which was hastily and immediately withdrawn by him after having circulated it to the media.

“Has Dr Sim no respect for the office of the TYT ( Head of State)? Does he expect the TYT to be a rubber stamp for the lists? Or is Dr Sim trying to pre- empt the endorsement of the TYT in the belief that, by making the list public, the TYT is necessarily compelled to endorse it?

“Dr Sim was made to immediately withdraw his first premature distribution of the list. His action then could perhaps be excused as being a newbie on the job, but to make the same mistake the second time is astounding. He has again acted in breach of protocol, without waiting for endorsement from the TYT’s,” the spokesperson said.

It was reported in The Borneo Post yesterday that the list of councillors had been approved by the chief minister and was awaiting endorsement by the Head of State.

A source was quoted as having said that the list had been tabled to the Cabinet Committee chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and was agreed by all the component parties, except for SUPP and UPP.

On the dispute between SUPP and UPP with regard to the nomination of councillors, UPP secretariat said the party’s stand was simple in that UPP had made its nomination of councillors to the committee chaired by Uggah.

They said Uggah cal led a meeting with Dr Sim and Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh — also UPP president — but Wong was unable to attend as he was still recuperating in Sibu after undergoing an operation.

“We take the view that, if there is any objection by SUPP to any UPP candidate, we are entitled to rebut such objection on the merits.

“SUPP cannot decide for UPP who its candidates should be, in as much as we do not tell SUPP who their candidates should be. If there is any objection to any particular candidate, we are fully prepared to justify our nominee.

“We trust that the chief minister and deputy chief minister will not be dictated to by SUPP,” said the UPP spokesperson.