Johor PH lawmakers question the necessity and financial impact of appointing 10 deputy committee chairmen, urging transparency from the state government.
JOHOR BAHRU: Johor Pakatan Harapan (PH) lawmakers have called on the state government to provide a clarification for appointing 10 deputy committee chairmen, a move announced yesterday.
The call was made in a joint statement by eight Johor PH lawmakers, namely Dr Maszlee Malik (Puteri Wangsa), Felicia Poh Rui Ling (Penggaram), Andrew Chen (Stulang), Ng Yak Howe (Bentayan), Wong Bor Yang (Senai), Chu Poh Yee (Mengkibol), Kartiyaini Jeyapalan (Skudai) and Nazri Abdul Rahman (Simpang Jeram).
The statement said all administrative decisions should be guided by three principles of good governance: necessity, effectiveness and accountability, rather than political considerations alone.
“The first issue is whether there is a real need for these 10 new posts. The state government has so far operated under a clear administrative structure, with support from professional civil servants, implementing agencies and special officers overseeing their respective portfolios.
“If there are indeed capacity constraints that require an additional layer in the administrative structure, what empirical evidence supports such a claim?” the statement asked today.
The assembly members also raised concerns about potential overlaps in duties, increased bureaucracy and the overall financial impact, including allowances, administrative facilities, support staff and operating costs.
They urged the state government to openly explain the reasons behind the creation of the posts, their respective roles and powers, the financial impact, and the key performance indicators that will measure their effectiveness.
The statement said that if the appointments were aimed at nurturing new leadership or easing workloads, the purpose should be clearly explained with proper accountability measures in place.
“As representatives of the people, our role is not just to criticise, but to ensure government decisions are guided by good governance, protect public funds and deliver real value to Johor’s development.
“Johor needs a more efficient administration, rather than simply a larger one,” read the statement.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi yesterday announced the appointments to strengthen the administration and improve the delivery of services to the public.
