A DAP senior leader has questioned the appointment of the new chief executive officer of the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF).
Penang Deputy Chief Minister I P Ramasamy said Minister of Human Resources M Saravanan (above) might have "gone overboard" in appointing Shahul Hameed Dawood to the post.
"It is not that the new government of Perikatan Nasional cannot make new appointments, even if those affected might not have their terms expired," Ramasamy told Malaysiakini.
"The question is not (of the) new appointments, but the appointment of Shahul," he added.
"We are not sure of his credentials and whether he has the necessary expertise to provide the leadership to an organisation that was investigated for fraudulent claims in the recent past," Ramasamy stressed.
The appointment has been criticised by certain quarters, and objection to Shahul was due to him being the principal organiser of a series of events in 2016 that featured preacher Zakir Naik, the televangelist from Mumbai, India.
Zakir was banned from giving public lectures in Malaysia after he made some controversial statements, which many deemed "racist" but the former has denied the claims.
Zakir (below) had then given a rousing speech in Kota Baru, Kelantan, on the invitation of PAS, where he raised contentious issues against Chinese and Indians.
Ramasamy said even when Zakir’s talks were banned due to its "incendiary nature", it was Shahul who took the lead in appealing to the police to allow the preacher to continue his lectures on comparative religion.
"Comparative religion for Zakir is basically to show the superiority of Islam over other religions," Ramasamy claimed.
Ramasamy said Saravanan defended Shahul's appointment on grounds that he was the grandson of SOK Ubaidullah Kadir Basha.
Ubaidullah was one of the founders of the MIC in 1946, vice-president of the party and subsequently its permanent chairperson.
Saravanan said that Ubaidullah was "a famous person, contributed much to the Indian committee and Indians in the country".
He also said the party decided on Shahul’s appointment in remembrance of the contribution of his grandfather.
"I am not sure this kind of argument would enable him to get the support of Malaysians particularly those who have been terribly hurt by Zakir's disparagement of non-Islamic faiths in the past," Ramasamy said.
"Although the MIC has been included in the new backdoor government, surely the Indian community expects the party not to sacrifice the dignity of the community in the name of paying allegiance to a person who hardly had any major role in the party or in the affairs of the community," he added.
"It is not too late for Saravanan or the MIC leadership to rescind the appointment of Shahul.
"I am sure there are many in the society who might be eligible to fill this particular post," Ramasamy stressed.
Ramasamy reminded that it is hardly appropriate to reward a person with a responsible position on account of his grandfather’s contribution.
"The real issue on this matter of appointment is not so much that Shahul's grandfather is Ubaidullah, but his relationship with Zakir," Ramasamy said.
"Saravanan should not obfuscate the matter." - Mkini
Saravanan is such a tool. You picked a CEO based on his race, lineage and loyalty? Is this a mob or a government agency?
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