WE need to have a check and balance mechanism to ensure all appointees into government-linked companies (GLC) are vetted and protected from “outside interference”.
“The Government must come up with a special committee to provide check and balance to ensure GLC appointees are vetted and given enough protection.
“We can’t simply be going around removing people based on our whims and fancies,” UNI-Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC) president Datuk Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal told FocusM.
Three days ago, business portal The Malaysian Reserve reported saying that Mara Corp CEO Datuk Badlisyah Abdul Ghani may be replaced soon despite being appointed to the post just earlier this year.
It was reported that Badlisyah, a career corporate figure, was instructed to go on a “garden leave” since November.
The Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) was reported saying it was “strange” that Badlisyah was told to go on leave as the latter was in the midst of performing due diligence on the company, to facilitate the transfer of some assets from its parent company.
Touching on Badlisyah’s case, Shafie said that the former is a respected corporate personality in Malaysia and abroad, especially during his tenure as the CEO of CIMB Group Islamic Banking and the first CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd.
He added that Badlisyah was also the former deputy CEO of Lembaga Tabung Haji Group and currently helms the Chartered Institute of Islamic Finance (CIIF).
“And it was due to his extensive experience and leadership, he was appointed to Mara Corp. In fact, his appointment was well-received by the business community,” he said.
Shafie then reminded the Government of its promise that it would ensure GLCs are run professionally and urged the not to simply remove people without proper justification.
“It’s high-profile position and both Badlisyah and the Government’s credibility are at stake here. We must ensure justice is served to all parties irrespective of their background.
“If we keep doing something like this, foreigners will only laugh at us and we will lose great talents due to brain-drain.
“And remember, if such a thing could happen to high-profile individual like Badlisyah, it can happen to us too,” he remarked.
The union leader then urged Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz to investigate the matter and ensure there were no political interference in regards to Badlisyah’s case.
If such a scenario were to be left unchecked, more respected corporate figures could possibly be ‘victims’ at the hands of politicians,” Shafie added. – Dec 12, 2020.
