KUALA LUMPUR: Politicians remained guarded over the setting up of the Johor Housing and Property Board today, with most stating they would need to study the contents of the enactment first.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said if the state government wanted to introduce a new law, it should not override the federal law.
“This country practices the constitutional monarchy, not absolute monarchy,” he said.
On the construction of housing for the public which was one of the objectives of the Johor Housing and Property Board, the Arau member of parliament said the federal government had already done this through the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Scheme Programme (PR1MA).
“The Johor state government may have its own reasons for the law, but I have not studied the contents of the bill," he said, adding that the Attorney-General's office would determine if the bill tabled by the Johor government contravened the Federal Constitution.
Former information, communication and culture minister Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim said the amended version of the enactment was better than the original one.
He said, for example, the provision of the enactment now gives back complete power to the executive council to at any time direct such person as the ruler may appoint to make an investigation of the books, accounts, and transactions to the board.
Rais said the nomenclature used in the enactment clears substantially on the doubt about separation of power.
However, he said that there may still be a confusion in appointment of representatives to the board by the sultan upon advice from Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.
Rais said the number of people appointed by the Sultan could sway from those appointed by Khaled.
“This is where the confusion may happen. It may seemed ideal in implementation but has not been put to test yet,” he said.
On a related matter, Rais said he hoped the housing board could do something about the spiraling house prices in the state.
Another former information minister, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, in his blog said Khaled was hasty in making the amendments to the enactment.
He said there was continuous outcry from the public who had questioned the role of the Sultan in the state administration.
MIC education bureau committee chairman and Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said he would need to study the changes to make a fair and equitable assessment of the impact of the substituted words.
“However I'm confident the spirit of the constitution will be embedded as the guiding light in any law passed in our country, state or federal for that matter,” he said.
People's Progressive Party president Datuk Seri M. Kayveas said that it was up to the government of the day and the palace to make the arrangement work.
