Star Online - Academic questions Pakatan policy on GLCs:
KUALA LUMPUR: A well-known academic is claiming that political patronage and possible corruption of government-linked corporations (GLCs) has not been dismantled.
Instead, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs Senior Fellow Prof Dr Edmund Terence Gomez alleged that the GLCs have been shifted to the purvue of different ministries which are controlled by ex-Umno, ex-Umno-linked and current Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia leaders.
Gomez said that in the run-up to the general election in May, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that the Government has created a monster - the GLCs - which were responsible for political financing and he had promised that if he comes into power, he will reform them.
In the past, GLCs had been responsible for the practice of politics of political patronage, leakages and possible corruption, said Gomez.
"Why are they not discussing reforms of the GLCs?," he said during the Youth Economic Forum 2018 on Saturday.
In his talk Government in Business: Changes under PH, Gomez jokingly said that he needed to put a question mark to his topic, because he was uncertain if the issue of Government running businesses in the country has changed.
Gomez pointed out that under the previous administration, there was a large number of ministries that own GLCs, which are controlled by Cabinet ministers.
Among the big four ministries were the Prime Minister's Department and the Finance Ministry previously held by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry previously held by Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Abdal (now Sabah Chief Minister) and then given to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob after a fall out between Shafie and Najib.
The Environment, Science and Technology was then held by former Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau, from Upko (now deputy Sabah Chief Minister), he said.
He then added that the Rural and Regional Development Minister post is currently held by Rina Harun of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Gomez said that the first thing Dr Mahathir was expected to do was cut down on the number of ministries but instead, he created a new ministry called Economic Affairs Ministry and took many of GLCs under the Finance Ministry and transfer them to that ministry.
Gomez said that Dr Mahathir then took Khazanah Nasional out of the Finance Ministry and put it under the PM's Department.
"Why did the PM take Khazanah and put it under his own department?" he asked.
Instead, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs Senior Fellow Prof Dr Edmund Terence Gomez alleged that the GLCs have been shifted to the purvue of different ministries which are controlled by ex-Umno, ex-Umno-linked and current Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia leaders.
Gomez said that in the run-up to the general election in May, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said that the Government has created a monster - the GLCs - which were responsible for political financing and he had promised that if he comes into power, he will reform them.
In the past, GLCs had been responsible for the practice of politics of political patronage, leakages and possible corruption, said Gomez.
"Why are they not discussing reforms of the GLCs?," he said during the Youth Economic Forum 2018 on Saturday.
In his talk Government in Business: Changes under PH, Gomez jokingly said that he needed to put a question mark to his topic, because he was uncertain if the issue of Government running businesses in the country has changed.
Gomez pointed out that under the previous administration, there was a large number of ministries that own GLCs, which are controlled by Cabinet ministers.
Among the big four ministries were the Prime Minister's Department and the Finance Ministry previously held by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the Rural and Regional Development Ministry previously held by Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Abdal (now Sabah Chief Minister) and then given to Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob after a fall out between Shafie and Najib.
The Environment, Science and Technology was then held by former Minister Wilfred Madius Tangau, from Upko (now deputy Sabah Chief Minister), he said.
He then added that the Rural and Regional Development Minister post is currently held by Rina Harun of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Gomez said that the first thing Dr Mahathir was expected to do was cut down on the number of ministries but instead, he created a new ministry called Economic Affairs Ministry and took many of GLCs under the Finance Ministry and transfer them to that ministry.
Gomez said that Dr Mahathir then took Khazanah Nasional out of the Finance Ministry and put it under the PM's Department.
"Why did the PM take Khazanah and put it under his own department?" he asked.
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no, you can't have Khazanah |
Gomez pointed out that the Pakatan Harapan manifesto also stated that politicians cannot be directors of GLCs but the new chairman of Khazanah is the PM, Dr Mahathir.
"By convention, it is the PM that is made chairman of Khazanah. But let's put that aside.
"By convention, the Finance Minister also sits on the board of Khazanah but the Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng was not appointed to Khazanah. It was Azmin Ali, Economics Affairs Minister," he said.
"By convention, it is the PM that is made chairman of Khazanah. But let's put that aside.
"By convention, the Finance Minister also sits on the board of Khazanah but the Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng was not appointed to Khazanah. It was Azmin Ali, Economics Affairs Minister," he said.
"Already, question marks are emerging," he said.
Gomez also expressed concerns that Former Finance Minister Daim Zainudin, CEP chairman had said that they were keeping the bumiputra policy and he said "This time, we are going to get it right."
"If you read the PH manifesto, it says the policy should be based on needs and not on race. This is supposed to be post-racial Malaysia.
"Why are we still having these debates?" he asked.
Gomez also expressed concerns that Former Finance Minister Daim Zainudin, CEP chairman had said that they were keeping the bumiputra policy and he said "This time, we are going to get it right."
"If you read the PH manifesto, it says the policy should be based on needs and not on race. This is supposed to be post-racial Malaysia.
"Why are we still having these debates?" he asked.
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thanks Uncle, we cannot afford to leave the GLCs unattended |