DAP: Come clean on Pemandu's payroll

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala has been urged to make public the total take home pay received by those working for the Performance and Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu) which he leads.

Beyond that, DAP's Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming said, Idris (right) should also disclose if Pemandu directors - former or present - are on the boards of public and private companies, so as to avoid conflicts of interest.

"The directors of respective national key economic areas (NKEA) hold tremendous influence in shaping the policy landscape in these areas.

"It is in the public's interest to know if there are possible conflicts of interest which may arise as result of holding multiple directorships in both the public as well as the private sector," he said in a statement.

He also asked Idris if the minister shares the shares the view that the public sector should be streamlined according to productivity.

"Is this one of the strategies under the Public Finance Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs) to reduce the government budget deficit?" he asked.

Ong was responding to an article by senior analyst Goh Wei Liang on how Pemandu directors do not share the same perks and job security as top civil servants.

Goh, who is identified by the MP as an analyst with Pemandu, also called on a review of the public sector based on efficiency.

The article was written by Goh for his blog in his personal capacity, and reproduced byMalaysiakini, with permission, after Ong questioned why government agency heads are paid more than top civil servants.

In his response, Goh also pointed out that top civil servants sit on GLC boards and get paid for it.

Pemandu directors collect board fees, too

However, Ong said that Goh failed to mention that even Pemandu directors serve on board of directors, in both public as well as private companies.

For example, he said, Mohamad Emir Mavani Abdullah, who was Pemandu's director in charge of the Financial Services and Oil & Gas NKEA, in 2012 served as Felda Global Ventures director at the same time.

At the time of FGV's listing, he added, Emir was also CEO of the Malaysia Petroleum Resource Corporation in the Prime Minister's Department and a board member at the Malaysian Nuclear Power Corporation.

Emir later became Felda Holdings group president and CEO. Ong said he was also listed as a director in seven other companies including Felda Asset Holding Corporation (FAHC).

"(Emir) also received 150,000 shares of FGV during the listing process," he said.

Ong (left) had last night also irked another Pemandu director for a snide comment he made about salaries paid to Pemandu staff.

"Really feel sorry for all the Pemandu directors that had to take a pay cut to do national service...(Sheds a silent tear)," he tweeted.

To this, Pemandu director for the crime national key results area (NKRA) Eugene Teh said: "YB, why (are) you guys getting personal with Pemandu staff. We (are) not the enemy lah...Sama-sama nak Malaysia maju (We all want Malaysia to develop)."

Goh also tweeted: "YB, none of us want to leave comfy, long-term jobs with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Digi etc, to work in the government (on) two year contract and get bashed everyday."