FT Gerakan chief to head Pakatan's task force
Published: May 28, 2008 12:24 PM | Updated: May 29, 2008 6:28 AM
Gerakan is set to face another Lee Kah Choon-type furore in the party.
The party’s Federal Territory chief, Dr Tan Kee Kwong, has been tapped by the Selangor government to head a special task force on land management.
Gerakan is set to face another Lee Kah Choon-type furore in the party.
The party’s Federal Territory chief, Dr Tan Kee Kwong, has been tapped by the Selangor government to head a special task force on land management.
Tan (left), who is a former deputy minister, follows the example of former Gerakan deputy secretary-general Lee who accepted the Penang government’s offer to head two key state agencies - InvestPenang and Penang Development Corporation.
It is well-known that Tan has not been happy with the party and has openly defended Lee for his decision to work for the Penang state government.
In announcing the appointment, Selangor Mentri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that the task force comprises six members and will be jointly chaired by Tan and Dr Nik Mohd Zain Nik Mohd Yusof.
“Both have extensive experience in the management of land...” added Khalid at a press conference at the state secretariat in Shah Alam this afternoon.
While Tan was deputy land and cooperative development minister from 1999 to 2004, Mohd Zain had been the ministry’s director-general from 1996 to 2002.
Khalid (right) said that the state government considers the issue of land management very seriously.
“The issue of overlapping land claims and land status has always cropped up. This is not a new matter in Selangor since all other states face the same problem,” Khalid told journalists after chairing a meeting of the state cabinet.
Will Tan be forced to quit Gerakan?
Khalid said that the task force will be set up as an independent body to “study and analyse state land administration, policies, issues and problems as well as ways to resolve land problems in Selangor”.
“In addition, the task force will be evaluating the effectiveness of the state government’s e-tanah (online) system.”
The body will make recommendations to the state government on improving the system.
It is likely that Tan will be forced to resign from the party. Soon after Lee joined the Penang government, he was so severely lambasted by party leaders that he eventually quit Gerakan.
When contacted, Tan said he had known Khalid for over 20 years even before he joined Gerakan in 1995.
According to Tan, he was present at today’s state executive council meeting and was formally introduced to the members.
“Some of our mutual friends approached me two weeks ago on the matter. I accepted the offer," he told Malaysiakini.
When asked whether he would have to resign from Gerakan, Tan said it was still “premature” for him to answer.
“The political party is a platform to help the people. I view this appointment in the same way, which is to help the rakyat to face very serious problems in Selangor,” said Tan.
The party’s Federal Territory chief, Dr Tan Kee Kwong, has been tapped by the Selangor government to head a special task force on land management.Tan (left), who is a former deputy minister, follows the example of former Gerakan deputy secretary-general Lee who accepted the Penang government’s offer to head two key state agencies - InvestPenang and Penang Development Corporation.
It is well-known that Tan has not been happy with the party and has openly defended Lee for his decision to work for the Penang state government.
In announcing the appointment, Selangor Mentri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that the task force comprises six members and will be jointly chaired by Tan and Dr Nik Mohd Zain Nik Mohd Yusof.
“Both have extensive experience in the management of land...” added Khalid at a press conference at the state secretariat in Shah Alam this afternoon.
While Tan was deputy land and cooperative development minister from 1999 to 2004, Mohd Zain had been the ministry’s director-general from 1996 to 2002.
Khalid (right) said that the state government considers the issue of land management very seriously. “The issue of overlapping land claims and land status has always cropped up. This is not a new matter in Selangor since all other states face the same problem,” Khalid told journalists after chairing a meeting of the state cabinet.
Will Tan be forced to quit Gerakan?
Khalid said that the task force will be set up as an independent body to “study and analyse state land administration, policies, issues and problems as well as ways to resolve land problems in Selangor”.
“In addition, the task force will be evaluating the effectiveness of the state government’s e-tanah (online) system.”
The body will make recommendations to the state government on improving the system.
It is likely that Tan will be forced to resign from the party. Soon after Lee joined the Penang government, he was so severely lambasted by party leaders that he eventually quit Gerakan.
When contacted, Tan said he had known Khalid for over 20 years even before he joined Gerakan in 1995.
According to Tan, he was present at today’s state executive council meeting and was formally introduced to the members.
“Some of our mutual friends approached me two weeks ago on the matter. I accepted the offer," he told Malaysiakini.
When asked whether he would have to resign from Gerakan, Tan said it was still “premature” for him to answer.
“The political party is a platform to help the people. I view this appointment in the same way, which is to help the rakyat to face very serious problems in Selangor,” said Tan.
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