Letter to editor
IN Lee Kuan Yew’s 2013 book, One Man’s View of the World, he predicts, among others that “Malaysia is unlikely to change (for) even if it succeeds, everything will only return to the original point because the issue of racial conflicts cannot be resolved”.
As two recent examples that vindicate Lee’s forecast, Nooryana Najib, the daughter of disgraced former Prime Minister Najib Razak, has joined the board of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) via the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-UMNO unity government.
Meanwhile, Izzana Salleh, the daughter of former minister Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and defendant in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Cowgate scandal, has joined the board of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) since 2021.
Both women’s appointments were met by overwhelmingly negative public backlashes by Malaysians because of their lack of sectoral experience and their involvement in the corrupt Najib and Salleh family dynasties’ scandals.
Both of their un-elected board appointments are still raising concerns about whether privilege and corrupt connections are prioritised over merit and fairness in Malaysia. As netizen Alawiyah Yossof remarked, Nooryana’s corrupt MATRADE board membership reflects the Malay elite class connections that have created a “caste” system in Malaysia.
Cowgate scandal
After three years, Izzana is strangely still an MDEC board member. In her NFC Cowgate scandal, Izzana, Shahrizat and her family were discovered by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, the Malaysian Auditor-General and other institutions to have illegally misspent over RM250 mil in loans from Malaysian taxpayer money which was originally meant for scaling up the country’s cattle industry.
Instead, Izzana and the Salleh family misused the millions to buy several expensive condominiums, including a RM10 mil unit on Singapore’s posh Orchard Road.
In a sign of how corrupt Malaysian family dynasties are inter-related, the Sallehs bought yet another RM1.7 mil apartment in Kazakhstan and gave it as a wedding gift to Najib’s daughter, Nooryana.
Izzana and her brother Izran had also paid themselves RM35,000 a month from the NFC government loans. Their brother Izmir paid himself RM45,000 a month. And their father Mohammed Salleh paid himself RM100,000 a month.
Izzana and the family also helped themselves to the public coffers by indulging in lavish overseas jet-setting holidays, extravagant shopping sprees and high-priced luxury cars, including a Mercedes Benz CLS 350 CGI worth approximately RM534,000.
Besides being an NFC company director, Izzana also managed the family’s failed Mont’ Kiara Meatworks restaurant which, for example, wouldn’t let a diner get a refund on their food though it “smelled like cockroaches”.
Needless to say, Izzana’s restaurant no longer exists. Later in 2018, investigative journalists discovered that “no cows and no workers were spotted at the 600-ha NFC site in Gemas, Negri Sembilan” which was “left to rot”.
Initially, Shahrizat lied that she knew nothing about the NFC by claiming, “I want to say one thing very clearly that I really have nothing to do with NFC” – which is as credible then as it is now.
Even more insulting, Shahrizat was subsequently awarded the “Tan Sri” dignitary status. Finally, the Kuala Lumpur High Court had in October last year ordered the Salleh family to pay back the Malaysian government RM120.6 mil before deduction and that the government kept an additional RM86.9 mil that it had seized from the Salleh family’s NFC project.
‘Pulling cable’
Despite corruption scandals like these in Malaysia, leadership roles seem reserved for those with so-called “elite” political connections despite their proximity to blatant corruption and criminal activities.
This sends a troubling message that board appointments and other surface-level indicators of “success” are more about grift – no matter how corrupt – than talent.
MATRADE and MDEC exemplify this practice which discourages hardworking Malaysians without connections from aiming for leadership positions. They know that they might not have a fair chance in the rigged system while the Nooryanas and Izzanas of the country mumble on about girl power, “talent development” and “women’s empowerment” projects.
For example, both Nooryana and Izzana both applied to and were accepted to Masters degrees programmes at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) around the same time with at least one of them (Izzana) being given a scholarship by the then-Najib government (Izzana’s brother Izmir was also a HKS student around the same time).
This is, of course, outrageous: Were the HKS admissions selection committees aware of either Nooryana’s or Izzana’s involvements in their 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) and NFC “Cowgate” scandals? Why does a Cowgate multimillionaire like Izzana need a government scholarship? The mind boggles.
While most Malaysians are suffering in this downward economy, the brazen MATRADE and MDEC board appointments of both Nooryana and Izzana highlight how this disgraceful pattern continues in Malaysia even many decades after the New Economic Policy (NEP) was first introduced.
The focus here isn’t on whether they’re qualified; it’s about the perception that key positions are often handed to people with powerful connections rather than to the best candidates.
Stepping down is right thing to do
This is particularly concerning as Malaysia strives to grow critical sectors like trade and digital technology – areas where MATRADE and MDEC play central roles. Without a fair and transparent selection process, Malaysia risks missing out on the best minds who could drive economic growth.
The NEP’ which original goal was to improve the socio-economic prospects for the Malays has devolved into a system that preserves ketuanan Melayu – Malay supremacy – and therefore apartheid that marginalises minorities through quotas and other socio-economic barriers.
The 2024 UiTM (Universiti Teknologi MARA) “Malays only” university saga is an illustrative example of this. Just creating new policies in Malaysia isn’t enough; meaningful reform demands a change in Malay supremacist mindset and culture where public service is about contributing to the nation rather than reinforcing political influence.
What’s left of the NEP in 2024 is outdated and has always contributed to retarding Malaysia’s full potential.
If Malaysia is serious about building a “fairer and gentler” society that goes beyond Najib’s version, then it must prioritise merit and inclusivity in organisations like MATRADE and MDEC.
Instructing Nooryana and Izzana to step down from MATRADE and MDEC respectively could be an important first move. Their resignations would reflect a commitment to moving beyond the NEP remaining’s entrenched patterns while demonstrating that public service should be about skill, dedication and merit – not just connections.
Lee Kuan Yew’s original forecast was right: Because of the Nooryanas and Izzanas of the country, Malaysia is unlikely to change. As a result, Malaysia has been falling behind its peers in Asia for decades.
Most recently this year, Malaysia’s International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking has dropped by seven levels to 34 out of 67 countries). It was the country’s worst ranking on record.
The remainders of the outdated NEP should be scrapped. Nooryana Najib and Izzana Salleh should also resign immediately.
All of these actions would serve as a milestone in the country’s journey toward ending Malaysian apartheid while embarking toward a more positive, inclusive Malaysian future. – Nov 11, 2024
Corruption Watch
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
