KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Pro-moderation group G25 founding member Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim wants Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to clarify a statement reportedly made by a Cabinet minister that MPs who do not hold government portfolios will be given posts in Government Linked Companies (GLCs) and statutory agencies.
In a statement today, Sheriff said that the government should ensure the appointments satisfy the criteria set out in the GLC Transformation Programme (GTP) that stipulates capable and experienced people are chosen.
He added that this is an important consideration that will determine the private sector’s long-term confidence in Malaysia during the post-Covid 19 recovery period.
“If the statement is true, we hope the PM will also clarify what steps will be taken by his government to ensure that the political appointees meet the ‘fit and proper criteria’ as set out in the GLC Transformation Programme launched in 2005 to strengthen the governance system in public sector enterprises, particularly those operating in the market economy.
“Although the GTP did not prevent 1MDB and other scandals from happening, nevertheless it remains relevant as a policy tool to ensure that government’s participation in the economy through the GLCs will be guided by high standards of corporate governance,” he said in a statement, noting that the GTP was set at a time when confidence in the government was at a low.
Sheriff was the secretary-general for the Ministry of Finance, and the first managing director of sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad from 1994 to 2003.
Yesterday, PAS secretary-general and de facto Law Minister Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan was quoted by Malaysiakini as saying all of his party’s MPs who do not presently hold positions in government will be made heads of GLCs by the Perikatan Nasional-led government.
“PAS has 18 MPs, eight are ministers and deputy ministers, one has been made the prime minister’s special envoy to the Middle East.
“This leaves nine more MPs. Alhamdulillah, I understand all government MPs will be given the responsibility to manage GLCs.
“This is because all of them are qualified. They are MPs,” he was quoted as saying to journalists at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim in Kota Baru.
