PUTRAJAYA may re-hire officers who lost their jobs after their agencies were shuttered for political reasons, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Dr Mahathir said the matter was discussed at today’s Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting.

“We discussed the problems… such as the sacking of government officers because the agencies they were under were abused by the previous government,” he told a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

Present was PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, PKR advisory council chairman Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo and other pact leaders.

“The government agencies were used by political parties. So, we had to stop these agencies and when we did so, many officers were jobless.

“This is something which we have to study again whether these people are involved or not and whether they can continue their jobs.”

Dr Mahathir said the agencies would not be resurrected because of the government lacked funds.

“We are dependent on government revenue and it is not enough to keep them running. There are people who are victims of our actions. We will listen to them because the majority of them are not involved in politics but are just public officers.”

Dr Mahathir declined to reveal how many officers the government may consider re-hiring: “We are now gathering data on those who have lost their sources of income.”

In July, the Pakatan Harapan government shuttered the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), Special Affairs Department (Jasa), National Professors Council (NPC) and Federal Village Development and Security Committee (JKKKP), saying they were political tools of the previous administration. 

The move possible saved Putrajaya up to RM500 million, according to international rating agency Moody’s. – December 8, 2018.