There is still a need for FT ministry, says Khalid Samad

KUALA LUMPUR (July 3): Newly appointed Federal Territories (Wilayah) Minister Khalid Samad seems to have a different view of his ministry from Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.

Khalid said that there is a need for Federal Territories ministry “as elected MP's would be under City Hall (DBKL) and it is not right to put elected officials under local authorities”, reported theSunDaily today.

Kok was reported to have said last month that the ministry can be done away with.

She also said that there was a lot of red tape and overlapping functions between the ministry and DBKL.

“My hope is that there won’t be a Federal Territories Ministry, because we have seen so many abuses by ministers and the ministry since [former Federal Territories Ministers] Raja Nong Chik to Tengku Adnan [Tengku Mansor].

“There should only be one head, especially if we want to have local elections,” she said.

According to her, the ministry has hindered the operations and administration of DBKL.

However, this is her latest reaction after the appointment of Khalid as Federal Territories Minister: “The appointment of Khalid Samad was a suitable one and I would not like to question the wisdom of prime minister in maintaining the FT Ministry,” Kok said at a briefing after the launch of the Malaysia China Entrepreneur Conference at Matrade today. 

"Maybe Teresa was expressing her disappointment at one time where the previous government did not give members of Parliament in the opposition any room which did not fulfill the needs of the rakyat because the elected representatives who were a part of the opposition were not involved in the decision-making process," Khalid said at his first address as Federal Territories minister today.

"She made the statement on her reality then as an MP under the previous government but hopefully we will reshape so the ministry becomes more relevant and more effective," theSunDaily reported him saying.

"Currently, I find that wilayah (Federal Territories) is a state on its own, if you don't have the ministry, then I do not see how all the MP's in their individual capacity can work and function.

"Unless you want all the MP's under DBKL, which is completely not right then you're putting elected representatives under the leadership of (the) local authority which should be below elected representatives," Khalid explained.

The new Federal Territories Minister also said that his ministry will probe and cooperate with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission over the sale of 64 parcels of land by DBKL during the administration of Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor as FT minister from 2013 to 2018, theSunDaily reported.

Khalid said he would “look at previous issues and projects to see if there were any discrepancies,” The Star reported.

He also added that he would need to understand the Kuala Lumpur Draft Plan and ongoing projects.