Party PSM upset over local council appointments

Perak's 338 local councillors are scheduled to be sworn in Friday but protests and dissatisfaction over the list of appointments seem unending.
The latest to express their disappointment are Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members from Sungai Siput.
Sungai Siput PSM branch secretary M. Sukumaran handed over a memorandum on the matter to Perak Local Government, Housing and Public Transport Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming.
Sukumaran said Sungai Siput MP Dr D. Jeyakumar had sent a letter recommending four people to be councillors for the Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council.
"We are surprised that not even one was selected for the post. We are working closely with the people of Sungai Siput but not a single one was chosen,' he added.
He pointed out that it was perplexing that the state government could choose a former judge but not those who worked closely with the people.
The four persons that PSM had recommended were Sukumaran, M. Agastim, Chong Kim Foo and Adam Ngah Naim.
Since the Pakatan Rakyat government released the names of local councillors last Monday, protests over the selection had been voiced by non-governmental organisations such as Ipoh Ratepayers Association and Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf),
The posts for the 15 local authorities in Perak were made up of 93 representatives from members of the public, 70 from the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, 54 PAS, 104 DAP and 17 civil servants.
Sukumaran claimed that it was Nga who had asked Dr Jeyakumar, who is also PSM committee member, to recommend some people as councillors.
If Selangor could select three PSM leaders for councillor posts, there was no reason why the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak should marginalise the party here, he said