FORMER human resources minister M. Kulasegaran has questioned some of the political appointments made by current minister V. Sivakumar, including an officer who was known for his wrongdoings.

He added that Sivakumar’s choice of certain officers “may not have been the best by the minister”.

“Maybe he overlooked checking their background properly prior to their appointments. When a minister appoints aides, they become very close officers.

“They are trusted officers with fiduciary relationships. They are the trusted eyes and ears of the minister because a lot of things depend on them,” Kulasegaran was quoted as saying in an interview with The Vibes.

Both Kulasegaran and Sivakumar are from DAP. The former had been the human resources minister in the first Pakatan Harapan administration (2018-2020) while Sivakumar was appointed to the cabinet in the current unity government.

The Human Resources Ministry is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on allegations of graft in the recruitment of foreign workers.

Three of Sivakumar’s aides were held for questioning while the minister himself faced anti-graft investigators.

At least five of Sivakumar’s aides in the ministry have been sacked from their posts earlier this month.

Kulasegaran was displease with the appointment of a particular aide who he said had a bad reputation.

This individual was among those arrested by the MACC and had been terminated from his post recently.

Kulasegaran said this same official had worked for him but was terminated 15 years ago.

He said Sivakumar was also aware of the reasons why the officer was fired.

“So, when I saw him (Sivakumar), I asked him: “Why did you take in an officer we had removed? The decision-making process (in the appointment) was wrong.

“He (Sivakumar) took a great risk. I had to relieve that person because he was involved in so many wrongdoings, and it was an instantaneous decision in 2008,” the Ipoh Barat MP was quoted as saying.

“I was shocked that the officer was in the government, but now they (all officers) have been relieved of their duties. When Sivakumar appointed the officer, he never consulted me. But the minister has his own prerogative, and I can’t interfere,” he said. – May 28, 2023.