Pm S Nod To Political Appointments Draws Thank You From Umno S Akmal

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Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh appears to have claimed vindication after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim defended political appointments, with the former claiming that the government has finally “understood” BN’s way of doing things.
ADSAnwar, during his winding-up address at the PKR national congress held in Johor Bahru yesterday, asserted that political appointments made by a government to qualified individuals should be allowed.
Insisting that such appointments do not constitute an abuse of power, the PKR president reportedly said the designations are a “reward” that individuals have earned for their service and contributions to a political party that succeeds in forming the government.
"We must offer positions to qualified individuals as a gesture of appreciation for their decades of commitment and sacrifice," Anwar was quoted as saying.
In response to Anwar’s remarks, Akmal (above), who is also the Merlimau assemblyperson, said in a brief Facebook post: “Alhamdulillah. Thank you (Anwar) for finally understanding what was done by the previous BN government.”
On Oct 22 last year, PKR’s Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim proposed in Parliament that only professionals be appointed to positions in government-linked companies, excluding those with political backgrounds.
Drawing flak
Anwar had then reaffirmed the government's stance that politicians can be appointed to such positions, excluding board member posts in financial institutions and several other related agencies, through a merit-based process.
He added that all appointments to key positions in GLCs undergo a stringent vetting process, with checks involving the Inland Revenue Board, Bank Negara Malaysia, the MACC and the police.
The position drew flak from the Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center), which said that such checks do not address the main issue of political appointments, namely, the issue of political influence and patronage.
Political appointments to GLCs, C4 said, have long been criticised as a way to reward political allegiance and maintain loyalty.
Earlier in May 2023, Akmal had criticised the assignment of politicians from Pakatan Harapan to main agencies under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, noting that the appointments were against the principles of the unity government.
He added then that such appointments were against the reformasi stance championed by Anwar.
- Mkini

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