SHAH ALAM, 18 June: Among the jokes making the rounds on the impending cabinet reshuffle, according to veteran newsman A Kadir Jasin, is the one about the prime minister dropping Najib Abdul Razak from the new lineup.
Humour aside, the former New Straits Times group editor-in-chief said the prime minister must seriously consider Najib’s position as finance minister.
“Not only has the financial administration under Najib sparked off various questions and issues, it is also a case of conflict of interest.
“When the PM acts as finance minister, there is no longer a process of separation of powers and arbitration.
“If there are ministers unhappy with allocations or the actions of the Finance Ministry, who do they turn to?” Kadir added in his blog.
Furthermore, Kadir said since Najib assumed the finance portfolio, the country’s economic growth continues to be trapped in the region of 5 percent.
Kadir also cited that the budget deficit and national debt have escalated while the performance of the Ringgit has also raised questions despite Bank Negara’s repeated assurance.
“So the PM must review the KPI (Key Performance Index) of Najib as finance minister,” he said.
Furthermore, Kadir argued that the PM needed to focus more time on administrating the nation in view of the numerous challenges.
–Malaysiakini
NS
