Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced yesterday that Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) will terminate the sponsorship for the next intake of students to Taylor’s University.
When he was asked by the media asked whether this was following the private college terminating the services of its operator used to ferry passengers to the red shirt rally in Kuala Lumpur last week, he said there are many reasons and he wants to keep the reason to himself.
The fact that Ismail Sabri could not even give any specific reason shows very clearly that it was a political vendetta against Taylor s University.
Political vendetta by a Minister is most irresponsible and dangerous, and an abuse of power. Ismail Sabri deserves to be condemned.
But most importantly, the Cabinet must direct him to rescind his decision.
Ismail Sabri has his right and freedom to support the Red Shirts rally as an Umno leader. No one will bother if he does not want his grandchildren to go to Taylors University. But he cannot and must not abuse his ministerial power for the purpose of political vendetta.
If Isamil Sabri dares to deny that his decision is not political vendetta against Taylors University, then he must do two things.
Firstly, publicly reveal the reasons for his decision
Secondly, publish the internal report which discussed and concluded that Mara should stop sponsoring students to Taylors University.
Surely any decision to terminate sponsorship of Mara students to any university should go through internal Mara discussions and meetings, and not made according to the Minister’s whims and fancies.
Can Ismail Sabri produce such a report? Or the discussions were merely the discussions that took place in the Telegram messaging group with Umno division chiefs?
Ismail Sabri‘s political vendetta and abuse of power must not be allowed to proceed. There is only option for the Cabinet – to censure him for his abuse of power and to direct him to rescind his decision.