ALOR STAR: Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor poured scorn on the appointment of Nurul Izzah Anwar as the senior economics and finance adviser to the Prime Minister.
The Kedah Menteri Besar questioned whether Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was setting a new benchmark for family involvement in government affairs, by appointing his daughter to the post without any pay.
"This has never been done, so it seems extraordinary.
"I am wondering if the Prime Minister is trying to set a new benchmark so that all politicians and their children can get involved in the government without pay.
"(Perhaps) this is Madani, dan anak bini (with children and wife)," he said in reference to the Malaysia Madani concept launched by Anwar recently.
Sanusi went on questioning the official position of Nurul Izzah, who is also the former Permatang Pauh member of Parliament, since she is not under the government payroll.
"I don't think there is such a position. If you render your service but there is no salary involved, what is that? This is not an NGO (non-governmental organisation), this is the government.
"Every officer appointed to the civil service scheme must have an employment scheme, there should be a legal bind so that the person's views and advice are subjected to the law and effective to the government," he told reporters after attending the state-level Chinese New Year dinner at Seri Mentaloon here yesterday.
Sanusi also argued if Nurul Izzah's appointment overlapped with civil servants overseeing government procurement procedures.
"That day, it was announced that she was overseeing matters concerning policies, but now it is said her role is to oversee government procurement so that tenders are properly managed.
"That is the duty of the Audit secretary-general to manage, there is no need to be duplicated, although the person is not getting any pay.
"But if you want to serve, there has to be an employment scheme. She should have just taken the salary if she wants to, what is there to be ashamed of," he said.
It was reported that on Sunday, Anwar confirmed the appointment of his eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah as his senior economic and finance adviser without pay.
Yesterday, Anwar explained that Nurul Izzah's duty as his adviser was to ensure transparency in the administration and to monitor government tender procurement to ensure that they are orderly done.
He had also brushed off critics that the move was a nepotism practice, stressing that such practice only existed should someone was given the position to abuse power, enriching oneself, securing contracts and seeking huge pay.
Anwar was also reported as hitting out at critics who had dished out millions of ringgit worth of contracts to their children while they were in power.
Nurul Izzah's appointment has drawn flak from political observers and corruption watchdogs.
The New Straits Times has reported former Otai Reformis secretary Abdul Razak Ismail as saying Anwar should have hired experts instead of appointing his daughter to the post.
Abdul Razak was reported as saying Anwar should instead refer to local financial and economic experts to seek advice from, adding that Nurul Izzah was not even half of their (the experts) level of expertise.
He also agreed with PKR's Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim that the appointment was legally right but morally wrong for going against Anwar's own stand related to conflict of interest; nepotism and cronyism all these while.
Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism deputy chief executive officer Sudhagaran Stanley opined that Anwar was setting a wrong precedent by appointing his daughter as the senior adviser on economic and financial matters.
Sudhagaran said while the appointment was justified as pro bono, the main concern was the issue of nepotism itself.
It was also reported that Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Anwar needed to resign as the Finance Minister and advised Nurul Izzah to resign as senior adviser for economy and finance.