The Malaysian Insight

ANWAR Ibrahim, who heads a parliamentary caucus for reform and governance, today defended Putrajaya against criticism that it was failing to reform government-linked companies (GLCs) and repeating the bad habits of the Barisan Nasional regime.

Anwar, who is the prime minister-designate expected to succeed Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said it was permissible to appoint politicians to head GLCs as long as they were honest and capable.

He said he saw nothing wrong with the prime minister heading sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd, despite PH’s promise in its election manifesto to let such entities be run by professionals instead of politicians.

“Not every politician we appoint is incapable, corrupt. If they are capable and qualified we will consider them,” said Anwar, he told reporters after an economic symposium at the Parliament building.
 
“Pakatan’s policy is clear and we cannot assume that all non-politicians are not corrupt. This country has witnessed corruption being committed by politicians, civil servants and the private sector.

“So we should fight corruption no matter where it stems from,” Anwar said to charges PH was backtracking on its electoral promise to reform GLCs.  

In its Buku Harapan election manifesto, PH promises to reform GLCs to make them world-class entities and to ensure that only professionals and not the politically-connected were appointed to head them.  

However, Dr Mahathir’s appointment as Khazanah chairman and the selection of other Pakatan politicians to head other bodies has drawn much criticism.

Prof Edmund Terence Gomez of Universiti Malaya said at today’s symposium that PH lacked the political will to change the network of GLCs that BN built because it was also benefitting from it. 

Anwar said he welcomed Gomez’s feedback but was confident of the government’s track record so far on GLCs.

“We accept Terence’s criticism as he is giving criticism and motivation for us to be more effective. But the early changes have been good. Because some have said we should not just reject everything.” – July 26, 2019.