Abdul Hamid Mohamad said such entities must, instead, be run by professionals with the necessary qualifications and the relevant working experience.
“I think enough is enough. Politicians should be confined to political posts,” he said in his latest blog post.
He lays out in plain language how government leaders handle the demand for posts or rewards, why many enter politics, and how integrity takes a back seat.
The former top judge, who served in that post for about a year from 2007, did not refer to any specific case but he could likely be alluding to the appointment of Jempol MP Mohd Isa Samad as Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) acting chairman.
Isa, who was Negri Sembilan menteri besar for 22 years, was removed as chairman of the troubled Felda Global Ventures (FGV) but was immediately made SPAD acting chairman. FGV is being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission .
Many people, including taxi drivers and the opposition, have criticised Prime Minister Najib Razak for appointing Isa to the post, saying it could further erode public confidence in the government.
Hamid said there should be no compromise when it came to the appointment of people to run a GLC or government agency.
“Integrity must be the first criteria. The second is professional qualifications, expertise and relevant working experience,” he said.
Hamid said the political consideration was totally irrelevant for a post in a GLC or government agency.
“With respect, in Malaysia, many individuals go into politics because they want to make money quickly. The easiest way, it seems to them, is to use power to make money,” Hamid said.
He noted that anyone joining politics to earn a living was starting on a wrong premise.
“They should build their own careers first. When they are economically and financially stable, only then they should go into politics,” he added.
He noted that many of the politicians who wanted to make money had “little respect for the law, the rules and ethics”.
Hamid said every politician who succeeded in holding a post in the party hierarchy generally aimed for a government post, such as that of minister or deputy minister.
He said the number of ministers and deputy ministers had increased tremendously over the years to meet the demands of the component parties and to pacify those wielding political power.
In addition, he said, there were “those who are already holding posts in the government and whose terms have ‘expired’” .
Besides, he added, there were also political heavyweights who lost in the general election but who had to be given something.
Asking how “our leaders” solve this problem, Hamid provides an answer: “Over the years, they are given the posts of chairmen in GLCs and government agencies.
“They are appointed not because of their integrity or expertise in the particular field but simply to give them a good pay as compensation for not being able to offer them a government post or for removing them from a government post.
“So, to begin with, they are appointed not because they are suitable for the posts. If they just sit and collect their pay and allowances every month, letting the professionals to run the company or agency and do not interfere in the management, their presence would not affect the company or agency adversely.
“Unfortunately, they don’t. They are used to wielding power and getting more. That is when abuse of power or misuse of public funds comes in.”
As a result, he added, Malaysians were reading about one scandal after another in GLCs or government agencies involving such political appointees.
“Surprisingly, they are not charged in court but are quietly removed from their posts,” Hamid noted.