Looks like the Guan Eng who always have his way in Pulau Pinang since March 2008 has now met his match "bagai bertemu buku dengan ruas". The Kg Buah Pala folks must surely be happy so will Penangites who got their road side stalls destroyed recently.
If he wants Federal money then Guan Eng will have to lick his spit and do a flip flop and get friendly with the SDO, hey after all Guan Eng started the spat and injured the sanctity and dignity of the Office of the Ketua Menteri of Negeri Pulau Pinang.
Nik Ali to stay put
2010/07/23
By Desmond Davidson, Roy Goh and Adie Suri Zulkefli (NST)
KUALA LUMPUR: Nik Ali Mat Yunus, the officer singled out for scorn by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, will stay put because transferring him out will be “cruel and excessive”.
This was the verdict of the nation’s top civil servant, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, following a position taken by the Penang state executive council meeting chaired by Lim on Wednesday that Nik Ali’s services were no longer needed.
Nik Ali is the Penang state development officer who was described by Lim as “incompetent, useless, unprofessional, coward” and “should be sacked” over alleged sand theft.
On Monday, it was Nik Ali’s turn to offer some choice words. He said Lim’s statement smacked of impertinence and it was unbecoming for a chief minister to say such things.
The chief secretary said Nik Ali had to make a clarification on all the allegations levelled against him to defend his dignity.
“If he (Nik Ali) was accused with all kinds of untruths and criticised repeatedly, he, too, has his dignity. If he did not reply, then people would say that he is guilty. So, it was proper that a clarification was given,” Bernama reported Sidek as saying at a press conference after opening the forum on National Procurement Guidelines yesterday.
In Miri, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, while commenting on the issue, said the cabinet regretted the action taken by Lim in degrading the honour of a federal officer.
“If there are criticisms to be made, then it should have been made with more tact and in private, not publicly,” he said after launching Petronas’ “Touch of Hope” (Sentuhan Harapan) programme to assist 5,000 households categorised as hardcore poor in the country.
The Touch of Hope Programme was the national oil company’s response to the government’s call for corporate bodies to assist in the country’s social development.
The 5,000 households, of which 1,800 are from Sarawak, were selected because they earned less than RM440 a month.
Under the programme, they each receive financial assistance of RM80 a month over the next two years to buy household provisions from Petronas’ “kedai mesra” nearest to them.
The prime minister said if that officer had made a mistake or was accused of making a mistake, the officer had a right to defend himself first before any action was taken against him.
“This is the process of natural justice which should have been adopted by Lim and the state government.
“Don’t make wild accusations that go against the ethics in relationship between political leaders and the civil service,” Najib added.
In Labuan , Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Nik Ali had carried out his duties within the scope of responsibilities.
“I think he (Lim) considers a federal officer as a representative of the BN (Barisan Nasional) just because the coalition party runs the Federal Government,” he said.
“Nik Ali is an exemplary officer with no record of insurbordination or things like that. Accusations hurled against him are probably linked to others before him.”
Muhyiddin was speaking to reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Asian Supply Base Sdn Bhd and Labuan Shipyard Sdn Bhd.
“If the chief minister is not happy he should take this matter up with the chief secretary to the government,” he said and pointed out that the state government had no jurisdiction over Nik Ali’s appointment.
“He should respect the role played by civil servants at state or federal level.
“The officer (Nik Ali) is also human. He is a senior officer, he is not stupid and he has feelings, too.
“If I am accused like how Lim had accused Nik Ali I would also feel ashamed, too, because I have my pride, too. All these are politically motivated . ”
In Butterwor th, Cuepacs president Omar Osman, when contacted, said Lim had crossed the line and people would know for real what kind of person he is.
State opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim said Lim should have adopted a friendly approach with officers from the Federal Government and focus on how to develop the state.
“Sadly, it seems that he is the one who is picking the fight, playing excessive politics for cheap publicity, ” he said at a campaign to promote consumption of local fruits in Sekolah Kebangsaan Kuala Muda here yesterday.
I have nothing further to add.
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