PETALING JAYA: Government-linked companies (GLCs) exist to safeguard and grow the country’s wealth and do not serve as political parties’ automated teller machines (ATM), says an election watchdog.
The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) called out Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s offers of political appointments to GLCs after securing a majority in the six state polls, saying it was an affront to good governance and a blatant abuse of power.
“GLCs are companies that exist to safeguard and grow public wealth and are not political parties' ATM to put party loyalists on the state's payroll,” said Bersih 2.0.
“In openly declaring his intention, we also wonder if it is a form of vote buying to secure the support of certain groups,” it added.
Bersih 2.0 said that this form of political patronage had become part of the political culture.
“Every successive administration including the current unity government is guilty of appointing either elected or unelected politicians to the board of GLCs,” it said in a statement Saturday (July 1).
In an interview with a web portal last week, Muhyiddin said Perikatan is ready to form governments in the six states where they have even agreed on allocations of posts among its component parties.
Muhyiddin said there was no problem to appoint politicians with good merit to GLCs as the positions are not exclusive to corporate figures.
Bersih maintained that no elected representatives should be appointed to GLCs as their primary responsibility is to serve their voters as lawmakers and not serve as company directors.
“For unelected politicians, we must put in place a clear and rigorous process to ensure transparency and that only suitably qualified individuals are appointed as they are entrusted with public assets.
“Voters must vote wisely in the upcoming state elections to ensure that parties or candidates who are committed to institutional reforms to end corruption are elected so that our country can be freed from the scourge of political patronage and corruption,” it said.
Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are expected to hold their state polls simultaneously after the Election Commission announced a date for the elections.
