Bersih questions political appointments in GLCs
ROSKHOIRAH YAHYA
SHAH ALAM - The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) questions political appointments in government-linked companies (GLCs) allegedly made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In a statement, the Steering Committee said that the appointment process needed to be conducted openly and transparently so qualified and interested Malaysians could apply.
He said the Unity Government should end decades of political appointments that cause corruption and mismanagement of the GLC.
"The latest is the appointment of Subang MP Wong Chen as the Non-Executive Chairman at Malaysia Debt Ventures Berhad (MDV), which is a government-owned company.
"Although Wong Chen has been vetted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the appointment should be vetted by the parliamentary special select committee (PSSC) and elected representatives should be avoided as candidates for positions in the GLC," he said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement added that screening by the PSSC would ensure that only qualified individuals were appointed to key positions in GLCs and statutory bodies because the company was the custodian of public wealth, and not a private business.
"The announcement by Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli that qualified candidates should apply as Executive Directors for two GLCs under his ministry, Teraju and Peneraju, should be emulated.
"It can also be legislated as part of the standard operating procedure (SOP) appointing the board of GLCs and statutory companies," he explained.
