JOHOR BARU: A total of 23 out of 24 Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG) councillors refused to attend the council’s monthly full board meeting after declaring that they no longer have confidence in the leadership of its mayor.
MBPG chief whip Datuk Mohd Amin Ahmad said the councillors had collectively decided to boycott the meeting scheduled for Friday (Aug 1), and demanded reforms in the current leadership of the council’s top management.
“We no longer believe in the mayor’s leadership as he does not respect the role of city councillors as part of the check and balance system in local government.
“The councillors feel that our role has not been acknowledged by the mayor, which has hindered us from fulfilling our responsibilities to residents in our respective zones,” he told a press conference on Friday.
Amin alleged that their attempts to hold discussions with mayor Datuk Mustaffa Kamal Samsudin were brushed aside with various excuses, including health issues, although the mayor was apparently seen attending external visits unrelated to his core duties.
“Such actions clearly show his unwillingness to engage with us, even though councillors play an important role in ensuring the people’s well-being.
“Our boycott has led to the cancellation of the full board meeting, which means no proposals or policies could be tabled, debated or approved. We hope our demands will be taken seriously,” he said.
He also urged the state government to address the matter urgently by implementing the necessary recovery measures.
Meanwhile, when contacted, an MBPG official said they were “shocked” by the councillors’ move.
“We have taken note of their statement and will be having a discussion with the top management before giving a response soon,” he said.
