Commenting on the recent appointments of Pakatan Harapan leaders to statutory bodies under the agriculture and food security ministry, the group called on the government to put a stop to political appointments.
Instead, it said, a system should be developed based on the needs of each component party that formed the government and the opposition.
“The Madani government should end the old practice of financing government parties’ operations and rewarding party leaders through lucrative postings in GLCs (government-linked companies) and statutory bodies,” it said in a statement.
“It should instead design a democratic, fair and accountable system of public funding to political parties, based on the needs of the government parties as well as the opposition.”
Bersih also said that while every party needs full-time operatives to sustain their political work, their salaries should not be paid from public funds by appointing aides of top leaders to become heads of statutory bodies.
“It’s an abuse of public office and trust – and borders on hidden corruption – if the government simply appoints any operative, such as former aides of top leaders, to statutory bodies just to financially sustain their political work,” it said.
Yesterday, agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu appointed five Pakatan Harapan leaders to head statutory bodies under his ministry.
Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar, who is the former Pokok Sena MP, was appointed the chairman of the Farmers’ Organization Authority (FOA).
Others who were appointed chairmen were Amanah’s former Perak deputy speaker Aminuddin Zulkipli to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama), DAP member and former Paloh assemblyman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali to the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board (LPNM), and former Kuala Kedah MP Azman Ismail from PKR to the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi).
Permatang Pasir assemblyman and Amanah member Faiz Fadzil was appointed the head of the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority (Ikim).
Earlier this month, former housing and local government minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican was appointed chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).
In March, Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki was appointed Mara chairman, and PKR’s Balik Pulau MP, Bakhtiar Wan Chik, was appointed chairman of MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd.
Former Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub was also reappointed Felcra chairman in March.
Netizens and civic groups have pointed out that these political appointments are inconsistent with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s push for reforms and good governance.