Wanita MCA chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie’s appointment as a special adviser in the Prime Minister’s Department is a waste of public funds, unnecessary and completely unjustifiable, DAP said today.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, in a statement, said that Heng, who is tasked to look into the national unity blueprint, is not qualified for the job after having made a controversial remark that more Malays would be contributing to government coffers with the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST). She had allegedly said that during the Rompin by-election campaign.
“Given Heng’s move to racialise the GST issue in the run up to the recent Rompin by election, she is certainly the most unsuitable and unqualified person to help implement the national unity blueprint,” Kok said.
“Not only did she take a racial approach to the GST issue, she also lacks the courage to admit and apologise for her mistake despite receiving massive criticisms,” Kok added.
Kok said that a minister can be aided by civil servants or respective ministries’ director-general instead of appointing politicians to such roles.
“It is obvious that Heng’s appointment is merely another move by Najib to appoint BN politicians via back door to government posts,” she said.
Heng reportedly said recently that she was appointed to assist with the unity blueprint in peninsular Malaysia so that the minister in charge, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, could focus on East Malaysia.
However, Kok said that if Kurup is unable to handle unity issues in peninsular Malaysia, he should be relieved of his Cabinet post.
“It is totally baffling how the prime minister could make such an appointment which is most unnecessary, unjustifiable and a waste of public funds,” she said.
Putrajaya has a slew of politicians who are special advisers, with allowances of around RM20,000 a month.
This includes former minister Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim, Kubang Pasu MP Datuk Johari Baharum, former Besut MP Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Md Zin, and Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
PPP president Tan Sri M Kayveas was also appointed special adviser to the transport minister early last year. – July 2, 2015.
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