Anwar said all candidates must be screened by the Inland Revenue Board, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.

“The primary concern is to ensure that the individuals selected have clean records and can withstand scrutiny,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the Supply Bill 2025 today.

He said while professionals are preferred for these roles, there is no discrimination against politicians if they meet the qualifications.

“Whether someone holds political office or not isn’t the issue. Our focus is on selecting qualified professionals,” he said.

However, Anwar said politicians are not allowed to hold board positions in financial institutions, which is in line with BNM’s rules.

He also stressed that the government is closely monitoring GLCs and GLICs to prevent any misconduct, noting that the auditor-general previously announced that it will audit 2,000 GLCs from next year.

He said the “wake-up call” would ensure greater accountability among GLCs and GLICs.

“There is no other way but for us to conduct audits and maintain continuous monitoring,” he said.

He was responding to a query from Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) about the reforms taking place at GLCs and GLICs to ensure a balance between corporate objectives and national socio-economic responsibilities.

Anwar said the government is also committed to addressing overlapping functions within statutory bodies and GLCs through the establishment of a rationalisation coordination office for statutory bodies.