Family councillors to be sworn in on Thursday

KLANG (Oct 17, 2006): The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) will announce an incomplete list of councillors on Thursday  (Oct 19, 2006). However, last-minute changes can be expected.

Council president Abd Bakir Zin said 21 of the 24 councillors will be sworn in at a ceremony.

Even with just a day to go for the swearing-in, changes can still be made to the list, which includes the names of  controversial councillor and Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zainal @ Zakaria Mat Deros, his daughter-in-law Roselinda  Abdul Jamil and son Zainuri.

Three more names - one each from Umno, MCA and MIC- are yet to be confirmed and are expected to be finalised after  Hari Raya.

Abd Bakir said the three Zakaria family members will also be sworn in.

Asked about theSun's report today that there will be a review of the original list and the possibility of the omission  of one member of Zakaria's family, Abd Bakir said: "I was with the mentri besar this morning, and there was no  instruction to change the names."

Asked if the 21 names were final, he said they could be changed later. Reminded that there is only a day to the  swearing-in, Abd Bakir said: "They can decide to change at the last minute, I don't know."

Council secretary Mohd Jaid Ehsan said MPK is the only council yet to swear in its list of councillors for the  2006-2008 session.

"It is not right to wait so long, so we have to swear in the people we have," said Mohd Jaid, who is also the MPK  deputy president.

On the inclusion of Zakaria and his family in the list, Mohd Jaid said neither he nor Abd Bakir had any say. "This is  from the state, we just follow."

Zakaria has been in the news for building a mansion on eight plots of government land in Kampung Idaman without  planning approval. Although a stop-work order was issued last week, workers were still seen in the house yesterday.

Abd Bakir said he had sent a report to Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo for further action.