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Friday, January 21, 2011

KK traders want Chinese as mayor

Pressure mounts on Musa Aman to please an increasingly disillusioned community.


KOTA KINABALU: The state is coming under increasing pressure to choose a Chinese mayor for Kota Kinabalu to replace Iliyas Ibrahim, whose second term is ending soon.

The latest such call comes from Lim Vun Chan, president of Persatuan Restoran Persahabatan Sabah. He said he agreed with Luyang People Development leader Chin Tek Ming that the current director-general of City Hall, Yeo Boon Hai, would make a good mayor.

It is not known whether the Chief Minister’s Department will decide to keep Iliyas, the city’s second mayor. His predecessor, Abdul Ghani Rashid, served two full four-year terms.  Iliyas’s second term expires this Feb 2.

According to Lim, the advantage of having a Chinese as mayor is that he or she would understand most of the needs of the city’s residents and businessmen, the majority of whom are Chinese.

“It would be an honour to the Chinese community if its representative is to be appointed to such an important post,” he said.

“We believe there are capable Chinese to take up the responsibility. Yeo Boon Hai is a very suitable candidate.”

Yeo has been credited with the ability to work closely with the city’s residents, in particular the Chinese businessmen.

Earlier this week, Chin said Yeo performed admirably when he was the president of the Sandakan Municipal Council, the post he left to join the Kota Kinabalu City Hall.

Another name that has been mentioned as a potential mayor is former SAPP deputy president Tham Nyip Shen.

Tham is said to be close to Chief Minister Musa Aman and considered a suitable foil against his former boss Yong Teck Lee, the SAPP president, who is seen as influential in the city. Charlie Rundai

1 comment:

  1. I would support Yeo than Tham becoz Yeo is a more honest and dedicated person not like Tham a running dog for the CM.

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