Brown-nosing political appointees should know to leave, says Kadir Jasin

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 — Political appointees in the government and government-linked corporations must accept their days are numbered as their patron Barisan Nasional is no longer in power, said Datuk A. Kadir Jasin.

The experienced newsman took to his personal blog yesterday to advise such appointees to leave their posts voluntarily as their removal was inevitable.

He said that while he sympathised with the group, they must understand that their personal fortunes were irretrievably tied to that of BN, which lost the 14th general election.

Backing the prime minister who announced the abolition of five federal agencies as part of Pakatan Harapan’s cull of political appointees, Kadir added that most did not have productive functions beyond flattering the previous administration.

While some have left of their own accord, he said many were still clinging on in the hopes that their past obsequiousness will be forgiven.

“Even we do not know their intentions and ploys. What we know is that is that if they are prepared to abandon past loyalties even when we have no brown-nosing positions for them, then sycophants and mercenaries will be among us.

“So too with GLC and GLIC executives who willingly and gladly chose to be Umno/BN stooges, to the point of being proud of taking orders from a ‘housewife’,” he said.

He added that many were now trying to survive by offering to tell on the previous Najib administration, but said even this may not be enough to save them.

Instead, he said it would be more dignified for them to make their own decision to leave rather than wait to be unceremoniously dropped.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad previously said his administration would terminate around 17,000 contract public workers after determining that most were political appointees.

He said those who have valid functions in the civil service would be re-engaged, but stressed that all must be released first.

Dr Mahathir has not embarked on an overhaul of GLC and GLIC leaderships, but has replaced the heads of several law enforcement agencies.