PERMODALAN Nasional Bhd (PNB) chairman Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz today said the government-linked investment company’s new chief executive officer was appointed via proper process and that the prime minister was informed of the appointment.

Zeti denied she alone made the decision to employ Jalil Rasheed.

She was responding to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement that he was unaware of Jalil’s appointment as he was not informed.

“That is not correct. PNB adopts a very strict, rigorous and robust governance process.

“We have a nomination and renumeration committee where it was first discussed and then presented to the board, then to Yayasan Pelaburan Bumiputera, which is chaired by the PM,” she told a press conference after unveiling the Merdeka 118 Show Gallery today.

Zeti said Dr Mahathir was notified of the appointment “but maybe he didn’t know the timing of the announcement and therefore he didn’t want to pre-empt it.”

She said another factor that might contributed to the situation would be the approval process by the Securities Commission (SC).

PNB is a regulated financial institution and its senior appointments requires the SC’s approval.

“It’s very important for none of the announcements to be made preempting of the approval process. Perhaps that is why he didn’t want to say anything at that stage,” she said.

PNB on August 28, announced Jalil is the president and CEO, effective October 1, replacing Abdul Rahman Ahmad. – Bernama, September 24, 2019.