KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 — Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Aziz denied nepotism allegations today over his son’s role as a “special officer” in his ministry, saying it was merely an informal appointment as Nedim was not on the government’s payroll.

Nazri, who is now Tourism Minister, said Nedim was given the title as a symbolic move to allow him some authority when helping to organise certain programmes for his father.

Explaining the misunderstanding to The Malay Mail Online, the senior Cabinet minister said had at first appointed his son to aid him in his Padang Rengas constituency in Perak before and during the May 5 general election.

“I needed him to engage with the Gen Y voters. And since he is young, I engaged his help,” Nazri said.

After winning the election with an even bigger majority than in 2008, Nazri said he wanted Nedim to continue with his efforts.

“Being non-political, it was helpful to have him help us encourage the young by organising certain programmes,” he said.

“I had to give him some kind of designation so that the boys and girls would listen to him so I named him ‘special officer’ in my portfolio.

“But he is not a salaried worker,” Nazri explained.

He said the only salaried workers are those who the ministry labelled as “gazetted” officers in his ministry, such as his press officer, his principal private secretary and others.

“My son does not even get paid by the government... In fact, I could even rename him my office boy, no problem.... an office boy who drives a Ferrarri,” the minister said, jokingly.

Nedim, who is no stranger to controversy, entered the spotlight today when blogger Cucu Tak Selampit alleged nepotism in his appointment to his father’s ministry.

“What’s the rational efor appointing his own son as a special officer in the ministry? Isn’t his son already well-endowed with his own riches and his family businesses?

“What’s the rationale for his son to spend his time in such a lowly position and salary?” the blogger wrote in a posting today.

The news, which was also picked up by news portal Malaysiakini, comes a year after Nedim’s name was mentioned in media headlines twice — once for allegedly assaulting a condominium security guard, and later, in claims that he was gifted a luxury vehicle by a Sabah timber trader who was under a graft probe with Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.