KUALA LUMPUR - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad criticised today the Najib administration’s use of foreign consultants that have cost the government over RM7 billion, claiming that many civil servants are unhappy and no longer support Barisan Nasional (BN).
The former prime minister pointed out in his latest blog post that Malaysia had gotten rid of British advisers upon achieving independence and has done better without them, but noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak began recruiting his own “4th floor boys” and several Britons instead to advise him on governance.
“The civil servants were very unhappy,” Dr Mahathir wrote.
“They had always been loyal to the BN government. Now many no longer support the government. Some even join the opposition after retirement and stood as candidates in elections,” he added.
Dr Mahathir said Najib had ignored the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) agency and other government departments and set up a new agency instead that is headed by a non-civil servants, where the staff salaries “far exceed” those of civil servants’.
He did not name the agency, however.
In November 2013, the Finance Ministry revealed that Putrajaya had spent a whopping RM7.2 billion since 2009 to hire private consultants for national projects.
The ministry also revealed a gradual rise in the bills for private consultancy firms from RM1.3 billion in 2009 — when Najib took office — to RM1.63 billion in 2010, followed by RM1.8 billion in 2011, RM1.82 billion in 2012 and RM722 million from January to October 2013.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim also revealed in October 2013 that the Prime Minister’s Department spent RM212 million on foreign consultants over the past five years since 2008.
Dr Mahathir said today that Najib did not seem to believe in Malaysians’ capacity to develop the country.
“In the past they on their own transformed this country from a developing country to a middle-income nation. Now their services, their expertise and experience are no longer needed,” said Dr Mahathir, referring to the civil service.
The former prime minister has recently been pushing for Najib’s resignation from office, saying that the latter’s refusal to address allegations such as those surrounding 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu put BN’s rule at risk.
Najib responded recently via a televised interview with TV3, during which he said Dr Mahathir’s criticism was due to his desire for the “Crooked Bridge” project to be revived and for the 1 Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) to be discontinued. - Malay Mail
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