Following the restructuring of the Federal Territories Ministry into a department and placing it under the Prime Minister’s Department, there are now efforts to revive the disbanded ministry. Sources in the Prime Minister’s Department have revealed that Umno is lobbying for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to bring back the ministry and appoint one of their own as the Federal Territories Minister. The discussion to reinstate the ministry began in June during the Umno general assembly, where Federal Territories Umno requested Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the Umno president, to persuade Anwar to make the move. They proposed that party vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Ghani, also the Titiwangsa Member of Parliament, be appointed as the minister.
Kuala Lumpur lawmakers, however, are not supportive of this proposal. The ministry was restructured after the 15th General Election (GE15), with Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali announcing its placement under the Prime Minister’s Department. He informed that the Federal Territories Department director-general, Datuk Seri Rosida Jaafar, had been briefed on the restructuring. Kuala Lumpur MPs have expressed their objection to the revival of the ministry, stating that it is unfair for Umno to push for another Cabinet post and the Federal Territories minister post when they won only one seat in Kuala Lumpur during the last general election, with the majority being won by Pakatan Harapan.
There have been claims that there might be a forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle, and Umno is attempting to secure a Cabinet post through this lobbying effort. However, the proposition has been met with skepticism due to Umno’s performance in the recent state elections, where they won only 19 out of 108 contested seats. In response to the revival request, the coalition of residents associations in Kuala Lumpur, KLRA+, emphasized that the ministry’s revival is unnecessary. They argued that the ministry unilaterally made decisions without adhering to the check-and-balance formula in the Local Government Act 1976, resulting in a lack of holistic planning, localized ad hoc approvals for development that strained infrastructure, and reduced green spaces. KLRA+ believes that having a ministry governing the three Federal Territories is redundant, as each territory already has its own local authorities or equivalent bodies to exercise the powers under the Local Government Act 1976.
Overall, the proposal to reinstate the disbanded Federal Territories Ministry has sparked controversy among Kuala Lumpur lawmakers and residents, with concerns raised about the fairness of the decision and the negative impact it could have on the city’s planning and development.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
