Puad Zarkashi: What is Muhyiddin, National Recovery Council’s authority?

JOHOR BARU, Sept 23 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi said today that the National Recovery Council’s (NRC) full authority under former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin must be spelt out.

He said the NRC’s authority, scope and terms of reference have not been communicated to the public.

“Muhyiddin claimed that he has full authority to continue to implement the policies agreed by the NRC, except for finance. According to him, the prime minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob) has agreed to it.

“The clarification on the NRC is important so that there will be no duplication of duties, can be controlled and its effectiveness will be easy to monitor,” Puad said in a statement.

He was commenting on NRC chairman Muhyiddin’s claim on Tuesday that Ismail Sabri has given him full authority with the council to implement policies in an effort to rehabilitate the country following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Puad said Ismail Sabri, as the prime minister, should inform the public on the NRC’s responsibilities and scope.

“Don't let the NRC bulldoze everything and allow conflicts with the other ministries, especially the prime minister's duties,” he warned.

He alleged that there were still trust issues surrounding the NRC, noting that Muhyiddin was also the chairman of the council when he was still the prime minister.

Yesterday, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan defended Muhyiddin’s appointment as the head of the NRC.

He said the government made the right decision to choose Muhyiddin as the head of the NRC.