TTF: Former Johor DAP leader Dr Boo Cheng criticised the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) government today for cronyism, following the appointment of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s (AIM) new chairman who is the wife of the prime minister’s political secretary (see news item below).
“GLCs’ top management should be headed and manned by non-political professionals in the transitional process of restructuring them until the realisation of an anti-monopoly legislation and a free, race-blind market is created,” said Dr Boo in a statement on his Facebook page today.
TTF has repeatedly questioned the Government of Malaysia’s commitment to upholding Pakatan Harapan’s election manifesto pledge not to make political appointments to government linked entities.
This followed the appointment of Dato’ Seri Azmin Ali to the board of Khazanah and Mahathir himself as chairman of both Khazanah and Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputra (YPB).
Other noteworthy mentions include Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz and Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdullah.
On the 22nd of June 2018, Zeti was appointed to the chair of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), a YPB subsidiary concern.
Haniff, on the other hand, was tasked with chairing Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Pulau Pinang (PERDA).
His appointment was a clear cut case of political cronyism as he led Mahathir’s legal defence team on many occasions.
JOHOR BARU: A former Johor DAP leader today has criticised the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) government for cronyism, following the appointment of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia’s (AIM) new chairman who is the wife of the prime minister’s political secretary.
Dr Boo Cheng Hau, in describing the news of the appointment as “amazing”, urged the PH leadership to adhere to its promise that no political figures, their political allies or relatives should ever be appointed to head or be part of a government-linked corporation’s (GLC) management.
“Those who are already appointed should relinquish their appointments on the grounds of advocating genuine reforms and avoiding ‘conflict of interest’.
“GLCs’ top management should be headed and manned by non-political professionals in the transitional process of restructuring them until the realisation of an anti-monopoly legislation and a free, race-blind market is created,” said Dr Boo in a statement on his Facebook page today.
The DAP grassroots leader was commenting on cronyism allegations related to Junaidah Kiting, the wife of the prime minister’s political secretary, Abu Bakar Yahya, following her appointment to the post. He, however, did not name her in his statement.
AIM is a microfinance agency established to help develop female entrepreneurs.
Dr Boo, formerly Johor DAP chief, claimed that PH under the present leadership makes no effort to reform the government, but instead allows the previous Barisan Nasional (BN)/Umno ways to manifest themselves into the new PH culture and policies.
He said cronyism now enters PH in sophisticated forms and alleged the ruling coalition’s top leaders are plagued by the “Denial Syndrome”, and allow the previous administration’s old political culture to plague its own rank-and-file.
“The admittance of cronyism is the first step to reform our economic model, and PH’s top leadership has shown less than a satisfactory commitment to stamping out cronyism,” said the 54-year-old former Skudai assemblyman.
Earlier, according to a Malaysiakini report, Junaidah said the Prime Minister’s Office had nothing to do with her appointment and that the criticisms if her were unfair as it was AIM’s top management that had decided on her appointment.
“It is not right for people to make baseless claims of cronyism in my appointment just because I am the wife of one of the prime minister’s political secretaries,” she said in response to a report by the portal in which AIM founder Prof Sukor Kasim cried foul over her appointment.
Junaidah, a founder of the De’ Wajah cosmetics company, said the accusations of cronyism tainted her good name and that of her husband’s.
Source: The Malay Mail Online
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