Perak MCA local councillors quit posts

IPOH: Perak MCA's 95 local councillors have resigned from their posts with immediate effect.

Speaking to reporters after handing over the letters to State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim on Friday, Perak MCA secretary Datuk Ho Cheng Wang said:

"We have submitted the letters at 10.45am today and all 95 councillors signed their resignation letters willingly."

The last councillor, from Kinta Selatan Municipal Council, had signed his letter on Friday morning upon his return from an overseas trip, Ho added.

Ho pointed out that he had also re-checked with all the councillors on the resignation letters to ensure that none of them were forced to quit.

"I want to make sure that there will be no incident like the resignation of village chiefs, in which some of them claimed that they were forced to quit," he added.

The resignation of Perak MCA local councillors became a point of contention when Perak Education, Local Government, Housing and Public Transport Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming announced that he had yet to receive any of the resignation letters.

Ho said the 95 local councillors had to quit from their posts because they were appointed under the previous state Barisan Nasional government.

"Now that there is a new state government, they should resign as a matter of principle," he added.

Ho stressed that the local councillors could still serve the people under the existing New Village Development and Security Committee, which is a set-up under the MCA and Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Although the committee members were not paid salaries or allowances like the local councillors, Ho said the committee members could apply for grants or allocation for certain projects to improve the new villages.

On whether Perak MCA members or leaders should take up local councillor positions if offered by the new state government, Ho said:

"If they want to, they have to resign from MCA first."

--THE STAR