Kuala lumpur: 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.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the call was made in a joint statement by eight Johor PH lawmakers, including Dr Maszlee Malik (Puteri Wangsa), Felicia Poh Rui Ling (Penggaram), and Andrew Chen (Stulang), among others. The statement emphasized that all administrative decisions should adhere to the principles of necessity, effectiveness, and accountability, rather than political considerations alone.

The lawmakers questioned the necessity of the new appointments, pointing out that the state government has previously functioned effectively with its existing administrative structure. They demanded empirical evidence to justify any capacity constraints necessitating the additional roles.

Concerns were also raised regarding potential overlaps in duties, increased bureaucracy, and the financial implications, such as allowances and operating costs. The PH lawmakers urged the state government to clarify the roles, powers, and financial impact of the new positions, along with the key performance indicators intended to assess their effectiveness.

The statement highlighted that if the appointments were intended to foster new leadership or reduce workloads, clear explanations and accountability measures should be provided. The lawmakers stressed their role in ensuring government decisions are guided by good governance and deliver tangible benefits to Johor's development.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the appointments with the aim of strengthening the administration and enhancing service delivery to the public.