Only three PAS reps in MBPJ

One councillor post previously held by Islamist party has been left vacant

THE number of PAS councillors in the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has dropped from four to three in the new list — a development that may not go down well with the party.

There may be trouble brewing in the Selangor government over the issue. The new councillors are expected to be sworn in on Wednesday.

Six new councillors will be taking their oath together with the current 17 councillors.

One position previously held by PAS is vacant and according to a state source “could be given to PKR”.

Seven councillors who served from 2010 to Feb 29, 2012 were not reappointed.

Out of the seven Ahmad Yusof Ludin tendered his resignation and moved to Negri Sembilan while Muzammil Hafiz requested for a transfer to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ). The other five— Syed Abdul Malik Syed A. Hamid Al Jafree, Mak Khuin Weng, Megat Iskandar Megat Ahmad Supian, Kamarudin Suhaimi and Halimey Abu Bakar — were dropped for various reasons.

The six councillors coming in are non-governmental organisation duo Norliana Ahmad, 41, and Ahmad Akhir Pawanchik, 45, PKR member Harmony Ghani Ismail, 40, DAP member Lee Suet Sen, 42, an engineer and PAS duo Azri Mohamad Arish, 42 and Ghazali Daud, 58.

Former councillor Muzammil Hafiz, who is a PAS member said: “The vacant position must go to PAS.”

“Discussions are ongoing and the vacant position belongs to PAS. I believe it would be filled up at a later time.

“Sometimes such a situation happens and we have to be patient,” he added.

PAS grassroots members are eager to challenge the move to wrestle the PAS councillor’s seat from them and are eager to put forward several names of professionals to fill the vacant post.

From Feb 29, Petaling Jaya council’s sub-committee meetings were frozen in anticipation of the reshuffle of councillors.

Tenure for 288 local councillors for the 12 local authorities in Selangor ended in December 2011 but all were given an extension until Feb 29.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman when told that six new councillors would be coming into the council said: “Good, I will have new friends, new ideas. I hope they will inspire me.”