Abg Johari: PKR reps loyal opposition

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Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg

PBB DEPUTY president Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg was certainly not short of praises for the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) elected representatives yesterday, labelling the trio as ‘loyal opposition’.

The accolades came about after the elected representatives showed up for the opening ceremony of the State Legislative Assembly sitting in full official dress code of the assembly.

Grateful for the gesture, Johari who is also Housing and Urban Development Minister said PKR had shown respect to both the house and the Head of State.

Head of State Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Norkiah were present to officiate at the opening ceremony where Salahuddin also delivered an opening address.

“One thing that I find strange today is the failure of DAP elected representatives to put on the DUN official uniform.

“On the other hand, we are grateful that PKR assemblymen adhere to the regulation which calls for the use of proper uniform.

“We can see this as being loyal oppositions,” Johari, who is Satok assemblyman, said when met by reporters after the opening ceremony yesterday.

Touching on DAP elected representatives’ refusal to don the official uniform, he said that this also happened in Perak when their assemblymen did not wear their official attire.

He said that the Raja Muda of Perak had even expressed his concerns over the matter, stating that the uniform had no political elements in it, but more of a respect to the house and the head of state.

Highlighting DAP’s refusal to don the official uniform as a protest on wearing the ‘songkok’, Johari said that the songkok was not a symbol of any religion.

He explained: “In India many non-Muslims wear songkok as part of their culture and this can be said to the wearing of the songkok in this country as well.

Even Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng wore a songkok when attending the Rulers Conference.

“The songkok completes the attire of an elected representative’s DUN uniform.”

Johari added that wearing the full uniform was all about respect and those who did not wear their uniforms had no respect to the state.

He also said that the situation happened before but it was not obvious.

His observation could be due to the lower number of opposition assemblymen in the DUN then, when compared to the present number.

Johari added: “However grateful we are to PKR for adhering to the dress code, I am not saying the rest are not loyal, but on the surface, they (DAP members) look like they do not respect the DUN.”