EVEN as the dust has yet to settle on the direct negotiation award of a transit system deal by the Selangor state government to the spouse of Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, the newly-founded United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) has alleged that Penang Deputy Chief Minister II (DCM II) Jagdeep Singh Deo is involved in “nepotism practice”.
The party’s secretary-general Satees Muniandy has demanded an answer from Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow for what specific reason was Datuk Baldev Singh chosen to head the Penang Appeals Board which is mostly made up of lawyers.
This comes about after Jagdeep who is also the four-term Datuk Keramat state assemblyman has proposed a motion to appoint his father-in-law and other members into the six-member board which falls under the Penang Freedom of Information Enactment 2010 [Enactment 16].
“Is there no other suitable candidate in Penang apart from the family member of its DCM II to be appointed as chairman of the Penang Appeals Board? Isn’t this a form of nepotism?” the former one-term Bagan Dalam state assemblyman who quit DAP in July last year after 15 years in the party penned in a Facebook post.
“Datuk Baldev may be an experienced lawyer but appointing him when his son-in-law is a serving DCM II shows how hypocritical the DAP state government is in practicing the CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) principles in its administration.”
For context, the Appeals Board caters to those whose application for information has been rejected while the enactment provides disclosure of information for public interest and their right to access the information from every department in the state government and any other matters connected to it.
The motion for the appointment of the Appeals Board members which was presented by Jagdeep on Thursday (May 30) was met with a unanimous decision before the state assembly sitting which began on May 24 adjourned sine die. The board whose term if for three years will begin today (June 1) till May 31, 2027.
“The board will comprise of mostly lawyers headed by Datuk Baldev Singh Gurchan Singh as its chairman with Datuk Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor as the deputy,” reported The Star. “The four board members are Harinder Singh Malkit Singh; Carolyn Oh; Datuk Nagarethinam Rengasamy Pillay; and Regina Amalorpava Mary Aboorvasamy.”
Of the six members, there are four lawyers, one developer and one former judge.
Delving further on his allegation, David chided the eldest son of the late former DAP chairman Karpal Singh a.k.a. Tiger of Jelutong for overlooking the fact that “there are hundreds of activists who can be chosen to provide checks and balances to the state administration given that Penang is a state with a very active civil group”.
“However, the state government chose to appoint a family member of the State EXCO. Penang DAP has also paid tribute to its DCM II Jagdeep Singh to bring a motion to appoint his father-in-law. This is indeed a wonderful moment for Penang’s DCM II!” he teased. – June 1, 2024
Main image credit: Malay Mail
