In clean sweep, Mat Sabu appoints PH men to head agro-linked agencies

The agriculture and food security ministry headed by Amanah president Mohamad Sabu today named three leaders from his party to helm key agencies under the ministry, with two other chairmen each picked from PKR and DAP, putting major agriculture-related agencies under Pakatan Harapan (PH) politicians.

The three Amanah men include Faiz Fadzil, who was appointed to chair the Fisheries Development Authority, and Mahfuz Omar, who was named chairman of the Farmers' Organisation Authority. 

Both men stood as PH candidates in the election last year but were defeated.

Meanwhile, a former Amanah assemblyman from Perak, Aminuddin Zulkipli, was appointed as chairman of the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority.

Two others, PKR's Azman Ismail and DAP's Sheikh Umar Bagharid Ali, were put in charge of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute and the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board respectively.

In a statement, Mohamad said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had approved the appointments.

He added that the appointments were based on "their extensive experience" in multiple fields including policymaking, management and administration.

"I am confident of the knowledge, credibility and experience they have in leading and shouldering the trust and responsibility in supporting and ensuring reforms in line with the aspirations of Malaysia Madani," said Mohamad, referring to the phrase used by Anwar for his administration.

There have been a number of appointments of politicians from PH and its newfound ally Umno to head government-linked companies, statutory bodies and ministerial agencies despite PH's pledge to do away with political appointments.

Anwar has defended the appointments, saying those given positions were qualified for the role and subjected to "stricter rules", while DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke also justified the appointments by saying they were not in business positions.

Meanwhile, Anwar's deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Umno president, said the appointments would be scrutinised by the government's secretariat headed by Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

Asyraf himself has been named as chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat or Mara, the country's biggest Bumiputera powerhouse.

Other Umno leaders named to head agencies include former Kepala Batas MP Reezal Merican Naina Merican who was made chairman of Matrade and Kelantan Umno chief Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub for Felcra Bhd.

A number of PKR politicians have also been given top positions, including Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh as non-executive chairman of the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, a GLC under the communications and digital ministry headed by PKR's Fahmi Fadzil.

PKR's Balik Pulau MP Bakhtiar Wan Chik meanwhile was named to head finance ministry-owned investment arm MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd, and Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, who was defeated in Kapar at the last polls, was appointed to head Tekun Nasional.