‘Desperation drove PM to hire Shahrizat’

It's all about getting support in the Umno polls, says PKR man Rafizi.

PETALING JAYA: Umno Wanita chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil’s appointment as special adviser to the Prime Minister on women’s affairs is basically to shore up support for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the upcoming Umno election, PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said today.

“People should read between the lines with regard to her appointment,” he told FMT.

“The Prime Minister knows his position in Umno is shaky. That is why he is collecting people who can be in his team against anyone challenging his presidency.

“Unless you are really desperate, you would not have chosen Shahrizat, whose rejection by the people is clear.”

Shahrizat’s political career has taken a beating since two years ago, when Rafizi began a series of exposes on alleged corruption and mismanagement in the running of the National Feedlot Centre (NFC), headed by her husband.

Rafizi today described it as “one of the most captivating scandals in recent years”.

PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin has also spoken to FMT about the appointment, noting that this would be the second time Najib had chosen her to be his special adviser since she quit her ministerial post over the NFC scandal.

“It looks like the Prime Minister just cannot get away from Shahrizat,” she said. “It is as though he owes her something, and I cannot figure out what exactly it is.”

She alleged that Shahrizat was ineffective when she was a minister and not likely to do any better as Najib’s adviser. “Her appointment is just a waste of money.”

She speculated that Najib was merely giving her a platform to defend her leadership of Wanita Umno in the coming party polls.

‘We need new blood’

Cheras Umno division head Syed Ali Alhabshee, one of the more vocal critics of Shahrizat from within the party, commented today: “I can only say congratulations. It is the Prime Minister’s right to appoint her as special adviser.

“We’ll just see what’s going to happen. However, I hope that she will welcome new faces to contest against her in the upcoming party election.”

Syed Ali also said he hoped to see a lively contest for post of Wanita chief.

“We need new blood and a new image for the party,” he said. “We do not want people to keep calling the movement Wanita Lembu.”

While reports have mentioned about Shahrizat’s new role, she herself has kept mum when asked to confirm the appointment.

Likewise, at the Malaysian Treasury’s (Finance Ministry) Hari Raya celebration yesterday, Najib said there would be no announcement on the matter yet.

However, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim today said that Shahrizat was not an adviser to the ministry, which means her role would only be to advise the prime minister on women issues.

Shahrizat’s tenure as the minister in charge of women’s affair came to an end following the NFC scandal. She did not contest in the last general election and is now expected to face a tough fight for the Wanita Umno chief’s position in the coming party elections.