Dr M: What's wrong with me as Khazanah chair? I don't get RM7m pay

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today defended his self-appointment as Khazanah Nasional Bhd chairperson.

"What's wrong if it is me? I'm not going to become the chief executive officer. I'm not going to get RM7 million in pay," he told journalists at the Parliament building's lobby today.

Mahathir was asked to respond to criticism of his self-appointment from various quarters.

Civil society organisation C4 Centre today noted while it was the convention for the prime minister to also be the Khazanah chairperson, it urged the new government to reconsider the practice in the interest of good governance.

Mahathir said he wanted to take charge to the sovereign wealth fund to set it on the right direction.

"We are trying to change Khazanah to concentrate on certain issues. Most of which I know, as I have been involved. In fact, I was the one who started Khazanah.

'So, we want to put it in the right direction,' he said.

Mahathir had previously said that the sovereign wealth fund had deviated from its original objective of helping the bumiputera.

On a separate matter, Mahathir defended the Education Ministry's decision directing schools, universities, colleges and other institutions to end their subscriptions to Umno-owned Malay daily Utusan Malaysia.

"Why would we (the government) want to buy a newspaper that always whacks us? But if people want to read, you are free to buy them outside schools.

"We are not stopping people nor are we burning the newspaper," he said.- Mkini