No allocation for opposition reps not final decision — Johor MB

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The new Johor state government’s initial plans not to channel any development allocations to the opposition representatives, was not a final decision, said the newly- appointed Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian.

Osman said that as a fair government, it has its own formula in distributing the allocation to ensure that everybody would benefit from the development in the state, even for those from oppositionheld constituencies.

“Apart from that, I am also thinking of ways to ensure that they ( the opposition) can work more efficiently. In the past, during our time ( as opposition then) we didn’t get any allocation, but now we will provide the allocation for their offices as well as assistants.

“Because I understand that the salary of the people’s representatives is not that big, I know this because I was then an assemblyman (of opposition) myself,” he told the media before he started his official duty at the Menteri Besar’s Office at the Dato’ Jaafar Muhammad Building, Kota Iskandar, here yesterday.

Osman, who is also Kempas assemblyman, said this in his response to criticisms of several parties including Pakatan Harapan ( PH) representatives pertaining to his earlier statement.

On Saturday, Osman said the Johor government would continue the policy of the previous state government not to channel any allocations to assemblymen from the opposition.

In fact, he also said that if the state government did channel the allocation to them, it was akin to giving ‘ bullets’ to the enemy. — Bernama