KUALA LUMPUR – All 21 Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen in the Melaka government should openly declare their support for Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali as chief minister in order to prove that the BN-administered state leadership remains stable, said Ayer Keroh assemblyman Kerk Chee Yee.
In a statement on Monday, Kerk, who referred to The Vibes’ report the same day, said the internal squabbling within Melaka Umno is no secret to the people of Melaka.
The chief minister’s post, he said, has always been eyed on by other Umno leaders and is consistent with the report that Datuk Seri Rauf Ab Yusoh would take over as chief minister should Sulaiman resign.
“Just several months ago, the Melaka state election was held because four state assemblymen withdrew their support for Sulaiman.
“Barely four months since the new government was formed, the chief minister’s post and the Melaka state administration are apparently under crisis,” he said.
This, Kerk stressed, goes to show that BN are hypocrites with their “Kestabilan untuk Kemakmuran” (Stability for Prosperity) motto being uttered by their supporters during both Melaka and Johor elections.
“As such, I am of the opinion that Melakans deserve to know whether the state’s administration remains stable, with BN needing to prove that there is no crisis over the chief minister’s post as reported,” he added.
Kerk’s call comes after it was reported that Sulaiman continues to be embroiled in an internal tussle within Melaka Umno over several key issues in the state.
Sulaiman had survived the state election virtually unscathed, with BN winning 21 out of 28 state seats.
The 57-year-old is facing a fresh wave of a power tussle, given that several key policy decisions were reportedly being made without his consent.
It is learnt that among the issues which have called his leadership into question is the debate in the state assembly over the proposal to change the name of the iconic St Paul’s Hill to Bukit Melaka, which was protested by the state’s DAP assemblymen due to the site’s historical value.
According to another source, while Sulaiman was also apparently not keen on the name change, a debate took place despite his decision to sidestep the issue for now.
The source also pointed out the delayed appointment of city councillors for no apparent reason as another one of the issues faced by the Sulaiman-led administration.
Sulaiman is also facing an uphill task of appointing government-linked company heads and village heads, let alone the earlier appointments of state executive councillors.
In yet another sign of uneasy tides within the BN fold, Sulaiman was also apparently absent during a ceremony to mark the handover of the controversial Melaka Gateway reclamation project to its original developer. – The Vibes, March 16, 2022
