JOHOR Menteri Besar Osman Sapian will meet Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya this afternoon, said a Bersatu source.

Dr Mahathir is party chairman, and Osman a member.

This comes amid talk that Osman will be replaced as menteri besar, less than a year after Pakatan Harapan wrested power at both the state and federal levels in the 14th general election.

It is not clear what this afternoon’s talks are about. Enquiries to Osman’s press secretary, Abdul Hakim Ab Rahman, went answered.

The menteri besar has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons.

Recently, he was criticised for his handling of the toxic waste pollution in Sungai Kim Kim, Pasir Gudang. Osman went ahead with a day trip to Indonesia’s Batam Island during the crisis, despite cutting short the working visit’s schedule.

In January, he boarded a boat while on a work trip to observe maritime security, and was accused of trespassing into Singapore waters. This came at the height of diplomatic tensions between Malaysia and the republic over sea boundaries.

Johor has been embroiled in several controversies with Putrajaya, such as the state’s move to change internationally recognised wetland Pulau Kukup’s status from national park to sultanate land, and the state royalty’s opposition to the federal government’s decision to sign the Rome Statute.

Hakim told The Star that Osman’s meeting with Dr Mahathir was “scheduled” as part of preparations for the 9th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat, which will see Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visiting Malaysia tomorrow.

If Osman is replaced, the likely candidate for the state’s top job is Bukit Kepong assemblyman Sahruddin Jamal, who is also from Bersatu.

The Malaysian Insight learnt that the matter was discussed when Dr Mahathir had an audience with Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar in January.

The ruler is currently overseas, and will return only by the end of next week.

Two senior PH national leadership officials confirmed to The Malaysian Insight that the process to replace Osman began weeks ago, and the transition could occur as early as the end of next week, pending the sultan’s agreement.

The change of menteri besar must also be first discussed among Bersatu leaders, as well as with other PH components, said sources from the pact’s Johor chapter. – April 8, 2019.