Replacing Bashir with an outsider - Whatever happened to homegrown talent?

Najib Razak, on the appointment of insiders aka homegrown talent in GLCs, 4/9/2012: 

On the appointment of Datuk Azman Mohd as the new CEO of TNB, Najib said he had fulfilled a pledge to TNB employees to appoint a home-grown talent to the post.

"TNB is an organisation whose excellence is beyond doubt. As such, when it came to a transition in the top management, I told their unions that if they had someone from within, I will appoint that person as the chief executive.

"In accordance with our slogan of "Promises Fulfilled", my pledge to the TNB employees has been fulfilled. We are proud of the home-grown talent of Datuk Azman who is qualified to be the CEO and President of TNB," he said. 

Bad

If newspaper "speculation" about MDeC CEO Badlisham Ghazali replacing Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad at Malaysia Airpots turns out true, we can speculate that somebody at Khazanah Nasional obviously does not subscribe to the Prime Minister's belief that the top post in a GLC could - and should - be filled by an insider.  

Sure, Badlisham is a vastly experienced chief exec - 8 years at MDeC developing the nation's multimedia industry and prior to that 18 years selling computers and programs for HP when it was the largest personal computer maker - but surely it is injustice to expect him to fill half of Bashir's huge shoes. And that is exactly what Khazanah will be seen as doing here. 

Doesn't MAHB has someone from within that Najib Razak can appoint as the new chief executive? Actually it does. Bashir has earmarked a couple of insiders who are now ready to take up the top job.

Bashir's tenure as MAHB CEO, which has been extended a couple of times by the government, expires end of next week on June 6. Given his wealth of experience and his global stature, the MAHB Board wants to retain him in some advisory capacity but Khazanah, it seems, wants to let Bashir go officially first before considering re-engaging him. 

Bashir - Years of running battle with Khazanah and friends

Surely, too, this man whom the global airport-aviation industry is naming its Man of the Year this weekend, deserves more recognition from his own shareholder? -rocky's bru