The Malaysian Insight

FORMER prime minister Najib Razak was very generous with taxpayers’ money, paying a clutch of advisers in his administration anything between RM70,000 and RM200,000 a month.

The Pakatan Harapan government sifting through classified documents discovered that in one instance, a former minister turned adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office was paid RM200,000 a month – about 10 times the salary of the prime minister.

These well-paid officials have been asked to retire.

The discovery confirms the Najib administration’s habit of paying government officials, advisers and senior executives of government-linked companies exorbitant salaries. They were not above paying themselves well either.

In some ways, it was a quid pro quo arrangement with the high salaries keeping the officials firmly in Najib’s corner as his cheerleaders. 

“Many of them were in the RM70,000-RM200,000 salary bracket. But so far we have discovered only one who took home a salary of RM200,000 a month,” a source told The Malaysian Insight.

“This is almost 10 times what the prime minister earns. Checks are still being carried out.”

It is learnt this senior officer had been appointed head of a unit in the PMO when his tenure as a cabinet minister ended.

“Not only did they enjoy high salaries, they also received many privileges and perks which came with their positions.”

The source said all the Putrajaya-appointed officers have not turned up for work since the 14th general election, when their employer Barisan Nasional lost to PH.

Yet another well remunerated employee was found to be the person in charge of the 1Malaysia branding.

“All these officers are no longer in the employment of the government. Most had vacated their offices immediately upon BN’s defeat.

“They either left on their own without informing us, or were told to leave immediately,” the source said.

Putrajaya is on a mission to curb wastage and leakages after it was learnt the country is RM1 trillion in debt

Among the first to be picked out for trimming by the new dministration were former senior officers who were given high-profile positions or holding ministerial status and diplomatic passports.

Checks had revealed many of these senior civil servants were appointed to the board of government-linked companies, with loyalty more than merit being the chief consideration.

Government officials told The Malaysian Insight these retired civil servants would be issued termination letters or would not have their contracts renewed. – June 12, 2018.