Datuk Mohd. Shariff Omar should be immediately suspended as Penang Deputy Chief Minister following his disqualification as UMNO Supreme Council candidate for money politics or unethical practices since he has refused to resign from the post.
Penang Chief Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon should stop defending his Deputy Chief Minister, claiming two days ago that “as far as the state government was concerned, Shariff was still his deputy and would continue with the responsibilities entrusted upon him”, and raise in the Penang State Exco meeting the invidious and untenable situation where two Penang State Exco members, one of whom is Deputy Chief Minister, had been disqualified as candidates for the UMNO Supreme Council elections for money politics or unethical practices.
Dr. Koh Tsu Koon himself, and another Gerakan Exco member, Dr. Toh Kin Woon, had also been disqualified as candidates in the recent Gerakan party elections, but as they had not been disqualified for money politics or unethical practices, nobody is suggesting that they should resign or vacate their government posts.
The disqualification of the Penang Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and two other Exco members in the recent Gerakan and UMNO party elections have not enhanced the image and credibility of the Penang State Government, which would be further undermined if the Penang Chief Minister and the State Exco are not prepared to take firm and swift action to dismiss or at least suspend Datuk Mohd. Shariff Omar as Deputy Chief Minister and Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff Mirasa as State Executive Councillor after both had been disqualifed from UMNO party elections for money politics or unethical practices.
UMNO Secretary-General Datuk Mohamed Rahmat said yesterday that Datuk Shariff Omar and Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff, together with five other UMNO leaders who hold State Exco posts in Johore, Perak and Selangor, who were disqualified from contesting in the recent UMNO party elections could also be sacked from their government positions under the party’s constitution.
He added that under Section 18 of UMNO constitution, UMNO had the right to disqualify the seven UMNO members from national elections as well as all UMNO members had contested the general elections on the party’s ticket and their positions within the party therefore directly affected their government positions.
The question as what further action the UMNO leadership wants to take against Datuk Shariff Omar, Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff and the five other UMNO State Exco members in Johore, Perak and Selangor are internal UMNO matters, but whether it is right and proper for Datuk Shariff Omar and Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff to continue as Deputy Chief Minister and State Exco member is also a Penang State Government matter where the people of Penang have the right to expect high standards of accountability from the Penang Chief Minister.
Dr. Koh Tsu Koon should give Datuk Shariff Omar and Datuk Dr. Abdul Latiff a clear option of either resigning from the Government positions or suspending them from their posts.
(16/10/96)