PETALING JAYA: All political appointees in government companies have received letters notifying them that their services have been terminated.
The letters were sent yesterday and the termination of their services was with immediate effect.
FMT confirmed with several sources that the letters were sent to political appointees who were made chairmen or board members of federal statutory bodies
Malaysian Palm Oil Council chairman Larry Sng confirmed that he had received his letter, as did other board members appointed at the recommendation of their political parties.
Sng, who is president of Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), was appointed by Zuraida Kamaruddin when she was the plantation industries and commodities minister in October 2021.
He said the termination of political appointments was the right move and the new unity government should be given the space and time to make its own appointments to GLCs and other government agencies.
On Thursday, the Chief Secretary to the Government, Zuki Ali, had sent a circular to secretaries-general of each ministry saying the Cabinet had agreed to the immediate termination of the contracts of political appointees.
Those affected are in federal statutory bodies and government companies under the Minister of Finance Incorporated, and government-linked companies and investment companies.
Sng, who is Julau MP, said many former ministers and senior politicians were extremely capable. It would be a waste to let such talent go with a blanket policy of barring members of political parties from holding these positions.
“I urge the critics to be patient and allow Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Cabinet to harness the great talent from various sectors to lead these companies. Let’s judge them after a couple of years,” he said.
