Johari Abdul, the Dewan Rakyat speaker, and one of Anwar Ibrahim's most trusted lieutenants, need not worry about the allegation that he had appointed his son as a special functions officer.
There is one solution. Create an unpaid role for his son. Gullible critics are happy when they hear the magic words, "free".
Johari should tell his critics that the appointment was not to misuse power or to enrich his son.
Impress upon them that his son would not have any power, nor would he be able to grant projects worth hundreds of millions of ringgits to family members or friends.
Nepotism, favouritism or whatever you want to call it is now “sanitised”, all because of pro-bono.
In a country like Malaysia, where the rakyat suffered years of abuse from their leaders and decades of having to watch corruption worsening before their eyes, Malaysians now think that if people do things for free, then all should be okay.
Wrong! it is not okay!
If we aspire to have zero tolerance for corruption, zero tolerance for abuse of power, then why can't Malaysians demand zero tolerance for nepotism?
If the pro-bono role works for Nurul Izzah Anwar, there is no reason why it should not work for Johari's son. They are both people of independent means, and need not worry about a mortgage or having to pay the monthly bills.
In 2013, when Nedim Nazri was made a special officer for his father, the then-tourism minister Nazri Aziz - we made enough noise to hound him out of office. With Nurul Izzah, we practise double standards.
The reason is simple. We are so fearful of Muhyiddin Yassin or Abdul Hadi Awang taking charge, that we are prepared to close one eye, (or both eyes for some), and ignore Anwar's arrogance. We loathe Perikatan Nasional/PAS and are prepared to sacrifice our principles.
Just like what we did in 2018 when we were prepared to accept Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister, as we had convinced ourselves that he was the “lesser of two evils”. We were tricked then, so why have we not learnt from our earlier mistakes?
The devastating reality about nepotism or favouritism is that you will never know how many really good people were missed because these people never applied for the job.
When they spot your son, daughter, wife, mistress or brother, in a role that they could probably have successfully attempted, the prospective candidate will simply lose interest. Why would they even bother trying?
Nepotism, or whatever spin you give it, is perfect for stifling talent. It demotivates others. It gives the privileged person an unfair advantage. It creates a toxic atmosphere in the office. It divides people.
Think about it. Would anyone dare to upset the boss' daughter? She becomes very powerful because she is the gatekeeper to anyone wanting access to the prime minister.
But it is not about her; be it her competence, degree or honesty. It's about Anwar's judgement.
In Malaysia, if you value your job, you would justify Nurul Izzah's appointment rather than treat it as a liability.
There is worse to come. The additional downside to this latest definition of nepotism is when you work for free.
The unpaid job is best avoided albeit in a few rare cases when pro-bono work is acceptable, like charity work, or in a family-run business.
‘Noble pro bono work’
However, the Prime Minister's Department is not a family business, although successive prime ministers have made it seem like one.
The danger is when emotional blackmail is used to convince the family member to work for free, to assist and prop up the family firm (dynasty).
Similarly, Anwar used emotional blackmail when he told the rakyat that Nurul Izzah's pro-bono work was noble and in the interest of serving the nation. He said it would save the rakyat money.
If money is to be saved, why not reduce the bloated civil service? Or reduce the allocation to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim)?
The only compelling reason for accepting the free job is when one values the career and professional exposure gained, above anything else.
Amongst other things, the invaluable work experience, networking, and contact with experts in a high-octane environment will give Nurul Izzah a headstart in honing her talents for the top prize of becoming prime minister.
Allegations of Anwar grooming Nurul Izzah for the top job will arise.
Some will say, "Why should she be given an unfair advantage? To be fair, others should also be considered”.
Anwar said that it was about trust, so what does that say about him and his civil servants? Does he have minimal faith in them? Does he trust his daughter only?
What sort of working relationship does he enjoy with his staff if they think he considers them untrustworthy? More importantly, we are aware that some civil servants wilfully sabotage.
Anwar also said that Nurul Izzah's role was to ensure that contracts and tenders are managed in an “orderly” manner.
What are the boundaries of her work? How will Nurul Izzah make a difference as she is not there to change policy? What happens when things go wrong?
In previous administrations, those with millions of ringgit in monthly salary were not made accountable for the mistakes that were made in the GLCs, Tabung Haji and ministries. When things went wrong, heads went unpunished.
So, if someone is not paid for their work, can they be made to accept responsibility and be accountable for their actions? - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT/
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