By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 29, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 29 — Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s expected appointment to a key government agency shows Putrajaya still values political links above professionalism, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today.
The Selangor mentri besar said Khairy’s appointment as Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Bhd (PUNB) chairman will benefit Umno rather than Malays, and would be a step back for the Bumiputera community.
“While the Bumiputera have been encouraged to pursue the standard professionalism on par with the world’s best, the appointment clearly shows that political affiliation, and not capability and experience, makes the cut for top positions in government-linked corporations.
“As one of the founders of PUNB, I take great pride in the fact that it has thus far been led by professionals free from political interest. While there were politicians at the policy-making level, they did not interfere with the operations of the company,” he said in a statement.
The prime minister should not “demean” the efforts of the Bumiputera professionals who have made PUNB what it is today by picking Khairy, who has not shown he can run a successful corporation, Khalid added.
The Business Times reported yesterday that Khairy has been tapped to head PUNB, which sources told The Malaysian Insider was a move to ensure the Umno Youth chief has better standing ahead of elections.
A source said Khairy, who is good with youths but has no official post outside the Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin, needs a government post to reinforce his position ahead of polls, which must be called by April 2013.
Putrajaya routinely appoints lawmakers to lead government agencies, which are seen as a training ground for their eventual appointment to Cabinet.
Khalid helped found PUNB in July 1991 to assist the development of Bumiputera entrepreneurial capacity by providing financial and corporate support to Bumiputera businessmen.