Start of a new dawn

Three Young YBs: PKR's Nik Nazmi, BN's Khairy and DAP's Tony Pua

There was never a crystal ball in the corporate scene. Neither could anyone could precisely predict where one would be placed. Especially when Federal Government calls the shot for all GLCs related matter and they are some who many deemed to be ‘politically incorrect’, eventually are slotted into certain political appointee positions.

Market talk is centred around the appointment Rembau MP YB Tuan Haji Khairy Jamaluddin to be the Chairman of Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd. (PUNB).

Khairy to be appointed PUNB chairman

Published: 2012/02/28

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AT THE HELM: Umno Youth chief to take up post at
government-linked entity soon, says source

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin will be appointed as the new
chairman of the Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd (PUNB), an entity entrusted to develop Bumiputera entrepreneurs in strategic and high potential businesses.

Although it is not immediately known when the Rembau Member of arliament will begin his tenure at PUNB, a source told Business Times it is expected to be soon.

Khairy is expected to take over from Tan Sri Mohd Abu Bakar Mohd Noor who has held the position since 1998.

A source at PUNB could not confirm the appointment, only saying that there was no such news so far.

PUNB provides a range of loans for prospective Bumiputera businessmen under various schemes such as Pemborong Prosper, Prosper Runcit and Prosper Siswazah and also networking platforms for its borrowers.

Established in July 1991 under the Malaysian Companies Act 1965, PUNB’s business operations are focussed on providing integrated entrepreneur development packages to assist Bumiputera entrepreneurs in retail andsmall and medium enterprise (SME) sectors.

These development packages are designed to help Bumiputera entrepreneurs develop business acumen, maintain a profitable venture and shape their enterprise, par excellence.

Business Times understands that Mohd Abu Bakar is well into his 80s. His previous posts include chairman of the Oriental Bank Bhd from 1997 to 1999 and chairman of the Board of Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd from 2002-2010.

Mohd Abu Bakar is PUNB’s second chairman. It is unsure how long Khairy’s term will be as the job tenure is indefinite, said another source.

This is expected to be Khairy’s first appointment to a government-related entity since winning a parliamentary seat at the general elections in 2008.

Although the youth chief position often comes with a ministerial post, Khairy was not appointed to any government post after winning the parliamentary seat.

Since then, there has been many rumours of Khairy’s appointment in various government-linked companies but nothing materialised.

Khairy, who was in his constituency in Rembau yesterday, did not return calls to comment on this latest development.

Read more: Khairy to be appointed PUNB chairmanhttp://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120228003309/Article/index_html#ixzz1ngUqjUkO

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This is a surprised appointment for one time the Supremo of PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s much talked about ‘Level Four Boys’.

Since his controversial win for the UMNO Youth top post on 25 March 2009 (which is an UMNO Vice President stature), the former Deputy Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office for 20 months and one time dubbed “The Most Powerful 28 Year Old” by a leading English daily was never appointed to any Cabinet post since Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak formed his first Cabinet on 9 April 2009. Neither did he ever had any appointment to any commission, GLC or state funded foundation.

Never the less, we at BigDogDotCom welcome this appointment for Khairy or fondly known as “KJ”. He is a face for educated and urbanite Malay where so many young people has started to associate themselves with. His BN Youth Fair program is very well received. So is his open-policy to engage and discourse, in many different forums.

Khairy’s wealth of experience as an investment banker, a right hand man in corridors of power and entrepreneur should be a breadth of fresh air into the entrepreneurial development corporation, which was incepted by Fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to develop retail and entrepreneurial Bumiputra community. For a change, he could learn a thing or two from Deputy MITI Minister Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir who is also in-charge of all Federal Government programs for Malay entrepreneurial development. Or, probably he could instead share his thoughts on ways of getting things done.

If this report is true, then we would like to with you the best of luck. A new day shall rise shortly within the hour. For KJ, with this news he is the man-of-the-hour.

- bigdogdotcom