Sunday, April 09, 2023

Another ruling MP appointed to GLC(Malaysia Now) - PM Anwar continues with the pre-GE14 BN culture and practice?

There are so many qualified persons but Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Cabinet continues the appointing of non-Cabinet MPs to positions in government agencies and GLCs. 

Anwar Ibrahim seems to forget about REFORM - and seems to be doing just what the BN regime before GE14 did..

How much MONEY does the position get? Or are they doing it for FREE for the sake of the country... Are these MPs donating the monies they receive by being in GLC and government agencies - OR is it additional income over and above their MP allowances...


See earlier post and statement

Compromising Backbencher MP's role by 'gifts' of appointment to government agencies/GLCs??? Backbencher MPs must not be appointed to government agencies or GLCs, as it can compromise their Parliamentary duties to monitor the Executive to prevent wrongdoings - MADPET

In 2019, it was highlighted how Malaysian GLCs have on average underperformed their private sector counterparts over the last ten years. “The data is very clear; total returns — share price and dividends — of non-GLCs are about five times greater than GLCs over a 10-year period,” said a panelist at a forum. (Edge Markets, 31/10/2019).

Political Appointments Reforms - Nepotistic Appointment of daughter Nurul Izzah Is an Abuse of Power, Abuse of Discretion and Corrupt practice not in line with good governance(MADPET)

 

Another ruling MP appointed to GLC

A statement from MDEC cites Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh's 25 years at Telekom Malaysia as proof of his experience in the telecommunications field.

2 minute read

PKR's Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh. Photo: Bernama
PKR's Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh. Photo: Bernama

PKR's Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh has been named as the non-executive chairman of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the latest in a series of political appointments to government-linked companies (GLCs) and agencies.

MDEC is a GLC under the communications and digital ministry headed by PKR's Fahmi Fadzil.

A statement from MDEC said his appointment took effect on April 1.

It also said Syed Ibrahim had "extensive experience in the field of telecommunications", having worked at Telekom Malaysia for 25 years. 

"He is experienced in customer relationship management, project management, marketing and trade sales, segmentation and analysis as well as the management of information technology and systems. His last position was assistant general manager," it said.

The government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been criticised of late over politically linked appointments to government agencies and GLCs.

These include the appointments of two Umno politicians as the heads of powerful government bodies in charge of Bumiputera economic development: Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki at Majlis Amanah Rakyat or Mara, and Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub at Felcra.

Meanwhile, PKR’s Balik Pulau MP Bakhtiar Wan Chik was named to head finance ministry-owned investment arm MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd, and Amanah's Husam Musa appointed as chairman of Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd.

Just last month, it was reported that PKR's Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid was appointed to head Tekun Nasional, an agency tasked with providing financing facilities to Bumiputera businesses under the entrepreneur development and cooperatives ministry.

It was also reported that Amanah MP Sany Hamzan had been named as Abdullah's deputy, while former Upko president Bernard Dompok was appointed as chairman of SME Corp, also under the same ministry.

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke defended the series of appointments, saying they did not involve GLCs listed in Bursa Malaysia.

"Those appointed now are not at such companies, but at statutory bodies, authorities and so on. They are regulatory bodies and do not involve business and so on," Loke had said.

This drew a sharp response from a veteran diplomat who hit out in a recent commentary at the spate of political appointments involving those aligned with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

"Anthony Loke might jump through hoops to justify Zahid’s appalling appointments but the people are not so easily fooled. All they see are conniving and unprincipled politicians who can’t be trusted to honour their promises and live up to their own ideals," said former Malaysian ambassador Dennis Ignatius.

Meanwhile, a civil society activist warned that appointing ruling MPs to head government agencies would compromise their parliamentary duties to monitor the executive.

"With such appointments, they may receive additional monies, benefits and powers, over and above their MPs' allowances," said rights activist Charles Hector.

"If similar practices of the then pre-GE14 Barisan Nasional regime are maintained, including political appointment of MPs and politicians, with no real reforms, then the people may be forced to look elsewhere for change," he added. - Malaysia Now, 6/4/2023

 

Stop Using GLC As Political Tools, Reform GLC Appointment - BERSIH

Press Release from BERSIH 2.0

9 August 2021

 

Stop Using GLC As Political Tools, Reform GLC Appointment

 

1. The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH 2.0) welcomes the news that both UMNO vice-president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and UMNO supreme council member Razlan Rafii are resigning as chairman of Boustead Holdings and board member of Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) respectively.

 

2. While the resignation of the two UMNO politicians may be an act of protest again the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, we are afraid their protest will be futile as the vacancy that they left behind will be quickly used by the PN government to win over other potential supporters to hold on to power while being a minority government.

 

3. Positions of government linked corporations (GLCs) have long been used by the Government of the day and most rampantly by Perikatan Nasional as political tools to consolidate their power and induce crossovers of elected representatives. This has had disastrous impacts on the stability of Malaysian politics with the collapsed of federal government and several state governments after the Sheraton move. Such abuse of GLCs and political patronage breeds corruption and cronyism, often at the expense of the effective functioning of the GLCs with appointments to GLC positions not based on merit, as in the case of former PRASARANA chairman Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman. 

 

4. We call on the the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to stop abusing GLC positions as bargaining chips to win political support and consolidate its power. The PN government must not use the position in Boustead and LTAT to fish for political support and fill the positions with their supporters again.

 

5. Instead, the PN government should introduce a GLC appointment law that will institute proper processes of appointment to GLC positions and ensure fairness, transparency and meritocracy. GLC appointments should be screened by bi-partisan Parliamentary Select Committees to ensure these appointments are based on merits and not partisan interest. 

 

6. The new GLC law should also explicitly ban elected representatives, whether member of parliament or state assemblyperson, from being appointed to positions in GLCs to prevent conflict of interest between their role as lawmaker to provide oversight to the government that makes appointments to GLC. The law should also compel all GLCs to enhance disclosure and transparency through periodic reports that should include important information such as appointment of chairperson and directors, their remuneration etc.

 

7. We therefore implore UMNO and all other political parties to demand and support for such reform to GLC appointments in order to even the playing field in politics and take away the power of the incumbent government to abuse GLC as a political tool for manipulation. Such reform will also ensure GLCs are helmed by qualified, professional and competent candidates that will strive for excellence and work for public interest. 

 

Released by

BERSIH 2.0 Steering Committee

BERSIH 2.0 Secretariat
A-2-8, 8 Avenue Business Centre,
Jalan Sungai Jernih 8/1,
46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel. No. : +603-76280371

 

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