Johor DAP reps can wear songkok

JOHOR BARU: The DAP central executive committee (CEC) has no objection to the four DAP assemblymen in Johor wearing the songkok at the opening of the Johor state legislative assembly.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the CEC had decided some time ago to allow the respective state committees to decide on their own on the wearing of the songkok.

“Our assemblymen in Selangor and Perak had decided to go ahead,” he said, reminding the assemblymen to abide by the collective decision made by the state committee.

“We did not impose any ruling on the assemblymen in Johor. If they had decided in their state committee meeting to wear (the songkok), we (CEC) have no problem with that.”

He was commenting on The Star’s report that the four DAP assemblymen in the state were in limbo over whether to wear the songkok at the opening of the Johor state legislative assembly on June 19, where the Johor Sultan would be present.

There was confusion over the matter despite a state DAP meeting deciding on April 20 that the assemblymen could wear the songkok as a mark of respect to the Sultan.

(In 1990, the Sultan publicly ticked off three Opposition assemblymen for not wearing the songkok).

“I am puzzled why they (the assemblymen) are pointing the blame at us,” Lim said.

Johor DAP chairman and Skudai assemblyman Dr Boo Cheng Hau said that the state assemblymen would be wearing the songkok at the opening of the assembly as had been agreed by the state DAP on April 20.

Mengkibol assemblyman Ng Lam Hua said, to him, wearing the songkok was a mark of respect to the Sultan.

Senai assemblyman Ong Kow Meng said, “ I will follow the majority as had been agreed upon.”

Bentayan assemblyman Gwee Tong Hiang, who was not present at the state DAP meeting on April 20, expressed unhappiness that a local Malay daily had blown the matter out of proportion.