Gomez, who is attached to Universiti Malaya, said Muhammed should be judged based on his track record, including his book titled “The Colour of Inequality”.

He added that Muhammed, who is the brother-in-law of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, was a man of “utmost integrity” who cared for the Bottom 40 or B40 group.

“It isn’t a bad idea for a man whose heart is with the poor to be sitting with a prime minister whose heart is with business.

“It’s good that Muhammed is there to sit with him (Mahathir) and pay attention to the poor,” he said at the launch of the Malaysia GLC Monitor 2018 report at Universiti Malaya here today.

He added that there were many poor Bumiputeras in rural areas due to “well intended but poorly implemented” policies.

Muhammed’s appointment as an economic adviser was announced last week and came into effect yesterday.

Muhammed, who led the Council of Eminent Persons’ secretariat, is a trained economist and a former senior analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies.

He also served as a consultant for the World Bank and several United Nations bodies.

On a separate matter, Gomez also questioned Putrajaya’s delay in implementing reforms for political financing.

He said he and several others had given a full set of recommendations for the government to implement.

“What is this government waiting for? They said they would do it. Let’s see,” he added.