MALAYSIANS woke up to a new government this week on Thursday while corporate and political Malaysia will now have to a face an administration that thinks very differently from the past.

It is learnt that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Pakatan Harapan leaders are looking at shaking up top-level appointments and reviewing the operations of various agencies.

“The old practice of the prime minister being chairman of various investment agencies is under review. It will probably be given to qualified Malaysians to prevent a concentration of power in the executive,” a source told Malaysia Decides.

“And, they are looking for corporate captains who want to serve all Malaysians, not just Bumiputeras,” he added.

It is understood that several corporate captains in government-linked companies and government-linked investment companies are expected to be replaced as soon as the new cabinet meets next week.

Among them are chief executive officers in the Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd stable of companies, said another source.

“It can be done as early as Monday,” the source said.

Several advisers, including some who served in the old Mahathir administration, are said to be shortlisting candidates for the cabinet to review and finalise next week.
 
The cabinet is expected to be decided on and announced today. Even during discussion among heads of Pakatan Harapan yesterday on appointments of ministers, it was clear that some old practices and conventions were being tossed aside.

Several new leaders believe that the new government should sever the tie between race and portfolio in the cabinet.

For example, Malay ministers have traditionally held the finance portfolio and Chinese politicians have been appointed as health or transport minister. 

The thinking now is that in new Malaysia, the government should not be held hostage to old ways of doing things. – May 12, 2018.