Citing talk of files piling up, Khairy says Anwar should appoint second finance minister

Former Umno man Khairy Jamaluddin today suggested that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim appoint a second finance minister to help smoothen the administrative process, saying things at the finance ministry have been described as "slow". 

The former Rembau MP said while Anwar was seen as a talented politician, this did not mean that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader was capable of functioning as both prime minister and finance minister at the same time. 

He said this resulted in a bottleneck of files as the government could not make decisions quickly enough. 

"From the conversations I have had with the treasury, many decisions and files have started piling up, and things are slow," he said in his "Keluar Sekejap" podcast.

Anwar's announcement that he would be taking on the finance portfolio in addition to the top post took many by surprise given PH's previous stand against the prime minister holding both positions due to concerns raised during the administration of Najib Razak. 

Khairy, the former health minister, suggested that Anwar appoint Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani as second finance minister given his background in economics and finance. 

He said Johari was previously offered the portfolio of natural resources, environment and climate change, but that the Umno vice-president had rejected the proposal. 

"But he (Johari) rejected it right before the announcement was made because he believed he would be more effective as a backbencher.

"Perhaps he wanted to be in line with his background in economics and finance. 

"Since he has been considered for appointment as a minister, I suggest that if the prime minister wants someone from the outside with a professional background as finance minister, Johari would be the right choice," he said.