Anwar: A ‘crime’ to give gov’t MPs GLC posts when rakyat struggling to eat

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has deemed it criminal for Perikatan Nasional backbenchers to be assured positions in government-linked companies (GLCs) at a time when many are struggling financially due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“You talk about helping the poor, you talk about economic hardships (but) at the same time, you talk about protecting the interest of your MPs and your cronies. This needs to stop.

“I am of the opinion that (if you) have one or two MPs with exceptional credentials (to lead GLCs), then okay that can be considered. I don’t think it would become a major issue.

“But if you make it as a rule, every single MP will be given additional positions, additional perks and offices when people are struggling to eat - this is to me a crime and therefore we will oppose this,” he said when asked during an online press conference this morning.

On Sunday, de facto law and parliament minister Takiyuddin Hassan said that all government MPs will be given responsibilities to manage GLCs.

All appointments will need to go through Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin before they are confirmed, he had also said.

Recent weeks have seen a slew of chairpersons departing from GLCs and some spots have already been filled.

Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub replaced industry veteran Bakke Mohd Salleh at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board while Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari replaced lawyer K Saraswathy at the Skills Development Fund Corporation.

Some other departures include banker Hasnita Hashim from Mara, banker Noripah Kamso from Bank Rakyat, former diplomat Noor Farida Ariffin from the Human Resources Development Fund, banker Zakri Khir from Socso and economist Nungsari Ahmad from the Khazanah Research Institute.

When it was in power, Pakatan Harapan had made several political appointments despite promising an end to the practice in its GE14 manifesto.

Pressed on this today, Anwar defended the former government’s actions in also choosing technocrats to lead the many GLCs.

“There were many professionals with impressive academic and professional credentials given tasks at offices.

“And we did not make it a rule that every single MP or appointee must be political in nature.

“So although we can be questioned in some of these decisions, certainly (what) the (PN) government has proposed now is unprecedented and indefensible,” he said. 

In a separate statement, policy research organisation Ideas deemed Takiyuddin’s statement as “worrying”.

“Takiyuddin’s statement is worrying as it displays the arbitrary nature of the appointment process for heads of GLCs and statutory bodies. It indicates that political affiliation may become the sole criteria in these appointments,” it said.

Ideas also expressed concern such a policy could be open to abuse of power, corruption, cronyism and patronage or be used as “political rewards” for electoral victory or in exchange for loyalty.

“Ideas urges the government to utilise measures that already exist, for example, the parliamentary select committee on major public appointments and criteria that were set out in the GLC Transformation Programme in 2005.”

Furthermore, the government needs to exit from running businesses, it added.

Instead, Ideas said the current government should develop a strategy to reduce the number and role of GLCs to improve the competitiveness of Malaysia’s economy and spur growth. - Mkini