PETALING JAYA: Electoral watchdog Bersih has slammed Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin for promising members of his coalition positions as head of government-linked companies (GLCs) should the coalition win in the upcoming state elections.
Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said Muhyiddin’s promise was an “affront to good governance” and an “abuse of power”.
“GLCs are companies that exist to safeguard and increase public wealth. They are not for use by political parties as ATMs (automated teller machines) by putting party loyalists on the state’s payroll.
“In openly declaring his (Muhyiddin) intention, we also wonder if it is a form of vote buying to secure the support of certain groups,” he told FMT.
On Wednesday, Muhyiddin said PN was ready to form the government in six states and had even agreed on how their administrative posts will be allocated among its component parties.
These include the posts of menteri besar or chief minister, state exco members, heads of state GLCs, local councillors, and even village security and development committee chiefs.
Fann said Muhyiddin’s remarks were a form of political patronage, which had unfortunately become part of the country’s political culture.
“Every successive government, including the current unity government, is guilty of appointing either elected or unelected politicians to the board of GLCs,” he said.
He said Bersih maintained its stand that no elected representative should be appointed to GLCs as their primary responsibility is to their voters and to serve as lawmakers, not as company directors.
“Voters must vote wisely in the upcoming state elections to ensure that parties or candidates committed to institutional reforms to end corruption are elected so that our country can be freed from the scourge of political patronage and corruption.”
Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah will hold state elections soon.
