No more sweetheart deals for VIPs

Muzliza Mustafa Muzliza Mustafa Updated 5 years ago · Published on 6 Jun 2018 7:00AM · 9 Comments

Former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar landed a job as chairman of Prasarana, the government entity that owns public transport assets, after leaving the force. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, June 6, 2018.

ONE of perks of serving the Barisan Nasional government well was that retirement meant never having to say goodbye to perks.

Several former ministers were given positions in the administration, ministerial status, an office, diplomatic passport and a salary of about RM20,000 a month.

Retired 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, however, that these retired civil servants will be issued termination letters soon or their contracts will not be renewed.

Among them are former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, former MIC president S. Samy Vellu and former adviser to the government Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

This move, the officials said, was part of a cost-cutting drive launched by the Pakatan Harapan administration to cut superfluous jobs across the board. 

Putrajaya believes that the job cuts will save some RM500,000 a month. This amount will not put a dent on the government’s debt but shows the determination to cut excess at every level.

It is understood that the new government also wants to put an end to the practice of rewarding VIPs to positions in GLCS, when they were not the best qualified to helm those jobs.

After retiring from the force last September, Khalid was appointed chairman of Prasarana, the government entity that owns public transport assets.  

Samy Vellu was appointed by Najib Razak as the special envoy to India and South Asia and former MCA president, Ong Ka Ting, 62, is chairman of the Malaysia China Business Council (MCBC).

Several other BN component party leaders have been appointed special advisers to minister. For example, MyPPP chief M. Kayveas was the special adviser to the transport minister.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight said the appointments under review are in addition to the 17,000 political appointments created by the BN government under Najib. 

“This new exercise involves those holding ministerial level and senior positions in government-linked companies,” said one source.

“They should start getting their termination letters. Some will have to go immediately while the rest will not have their contracts renewed this year.”

The source added that there are at least 30 names on this list. – June 6, 2018.

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Comments

  • Great move...let's put it this way, if these 'retired' servants can help with their expertise in turing any company, then go all out and hire them. If they're there to warm the chair and take fat salaries from the Rakyat's contribution, it's daylight robbery...... Retire and thats one must do once they have 'served' their part. Let the others move up the ladder ... this is one reason for high unemployment in Bolehland......What Khalid can do in Transportation when he was a Cop? How is he suddenly a Subject Matter Expert inTransportation???? Rakyat made a good move in bringing DrM from retirement to rule again as he's an SME in getting rid of deadwoods like Khalid and many more ..... serve them notice and save Malaysia of unneseccary waste in wages.

    Posted 5 years ago by Crishan Veera · Reply

    • He could go back to gun running....

      Posted 5 years ago by Ramamurthi ram · Reply

  • Good move.....time to stop the bleeding....no mater how small the amount, continuous bleeding will kill....open wound will cause serious infection to those corporations.....need to be dealt with now. Kudos

    Posted 5 years ago by Darth Vadar · Reply

  • A good move, indeed. Flush them out immediately. The country needs the money more than these parasites.

    Posted 5 years ago by Ken destino · Reply

  • How come the guy represting Malaysia for WORLD TOILET ASSOCIATION were not given salary or other post regarding toilets.

    Posted 5 years ago by Chai Wun Chai · Reply

  • Appointing cronies to important position is a sure recipe for disaster. Axa affin life insurance berhad appointed a washed-out, expired dinosaur - a former agency manager from AIA. WIthin 4 years of bullying, sexual assaults, abuses, flip-flops, bullshits - axa sank to the bottom of the Jamban. Read more at changenow083.blogspot.com

    Posted 5 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply

  • Kick their arses and ask them to get lost. They were simply warming their chairs doing nothing productive. The only thing they did was apple polishing (ball polishing?) their boss Najib Razak.

    Posted 5 years ago by Peter Johnson · Reply

  • Why should govt appoint govt department ex-chief like ex-IGP, ex-Army Chief, ex this, ex that, becoming the head of GLC ???
    Haven't they have retired from the goverment services??
    Please stop practicing this over again in the future.
    If they were appointed by private company it's ok. But then,these people are once were in power during their services and they might use this advantage to influence people he dealt with and this will lead to unhealthy culture such as bribery and so on

    Posted 5 years ago by Deng Madd · Reply

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    Posted 5 years ago by Seeni muhammad · Reply