Jalil’s exit shows gov't values politicians over young Malaysian talent - Syed Saddiq

Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said the recent departure of Jalil Rasheed from Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) showed that the new government did not value talented young Malaysians but instead favoured politicians to helm Government-Linked Companies (GLCs).

Syed Saddiq (above), who was former youth and sports minister, was commenting on the resignation of Jalil as president and CEO of PNB, the country’s largest fund management company.

“The strategy and view of the government today is seen as prioritising politicians to helm GLCs over young individuals who are qualified to manage national assets,” he said in a Facebook posting today.

“Maybe the (PN) government viewed Jalil as too young. Or Jalil did not hold similar political views. Whatever the case, when I heard (news about the resignation) it crossed my mind that the one to bear the loss and hurt from this move was not Jalil, but PNB and its ability to manage national assets.” he added.

The resignation came about after days of speculation that Jalil was to be dropped by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration.

Considered a rising corporate star, Jalil was appointed to the role late last year by the former Pakatan Harapan government. At 38-years-old, he was the youngest CEO in the company’s history.

Syed Saddiq, who is also disputed Bersatu youth chief, claimed that Jalil was picked to lead PNB as Harapan recognised that many Malaysian youths possessed wide experience and qualifications, causing them to be headhunted by multinational companies abroad.

Jalil (above) claimed yesterday he left a posting in Singapore to return to the country for the PNB role, as he “truly wanted to contribute to nation-building”. According to Syed Saddiq, Jalil even accepted a 90 percent pay cut for this purpose.

“We need people with wide experience, who possess a contemporary perspective in the global economy and most importantly, possess patriotic values to the point of being willing to return to serve the country,” he said.

Syed Saddiq's own youth was the subject of criticism when he was appointed minister in former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet at the age of 25 in 2018.

Jalil tendered his resignation yesterday and said he opted for a "difficult path" over enjoying the benefits of his position while having to battle his own good conscience.

He alleged that during his tenure at PNB, he was harassed by calls from unknown numbers while his online profile and corporate email accounts were hacked into.

Several parties, including Bersatu supreme council member A Kadir Jasin claimed that attempts to get rid of Jalil were due to decisions he made against deals that would have allowed certain individuals to personally profit.

Even so, in a Twitter posting this morning, Jalil described his nine months at the company to be “the most rewarding job” he has ever had.

To a comment by a netizen that his next stint would most likely not be in Malaysia, he replied, “not necessarily”.

“I really felt I was moving the needle and making a difference (at PNB). If the right job and environment come along, I’m open. I always go for the job rather than the location.” - Mkini