Former minister Rafidah Aziz expressed her frustration with the move by Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to appoint MPs to head the government-linked companies (GLCs).
She lamented that “some people” running the country should go back to the basics of governing to achieve the aspirations of the nation and rakyat.
“Not merely by installing individuals in any vacant, vacated, or created post.
“But to govern guided by integrity, honesty, responsibility, accountability, and dedicated teamwork. Not driven by personal ambitions and goals to the detriment of the nation,” Rafidah said in her Facebook posting today.
Yesterday, the de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said MPs who don’t presently hold positions in the government will be made heads of GLCs.
“PAS has 18 MPs, eight are ministers and deputy ministers, one has been made the prime minister’s special envoy to the Middle East.
“This leaves nine more MPs. alhamdulillah, I understand all government MPs will be given the responsibility to manage GLCs.
“This is because all of them are qualified. They are MPs,” the PAS secretary-general had said.
With the latest announcement amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Rafidah said the “reverse gear” clearly was pushed in the helming of the country.
“Clearly, the reverse gear was pushed and here we are sliding down on a backwards trajectory.
“During a very serious global Covid-19 pandemic, the government representative is talking about ‘cushy posts for everyone in our gang’,” said the former Umno veteran.
It is the people who will lose out in the PN government’s “musical chairs” to give all its backbenchers posts in government-linked companies and agencies, said Rafidah Aziz.
“We, the rakyat, will be the losers, and have to pick up the precious pieces of our beloved Malaysia,” she added.
She also called the PN government a “backdoor one”, in reference to the manner it ousted Pakatan Harapan (PH) that won the 2018 general election.
Rafidah also ticked off the government for proposing that barbers be allowed to work during the control movement order (MCO).
“Even the barbers themselves do not want (to work during MCO).”
She advised those in the government to be serious about governing the country.
“We must target support and assistance to the key economic drivers of the nation and the programmes must be based upon equitability and fairness.
“We must have timelines and scenario options moving forward so that there is the agility to quickly adjust and institute new and better policy measures,” she said.