KUALA LUMPUR – Early contract terminations of chief executive officers (CEO) within the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) is nothing out of the norm, said its chairman Datuk Kamil Othman.
Pointing to his own experience within the corporation, Kamil said that the situation currently faced by outgoing CEO Md Nasir Ibrahim is not unique, with the decision being consented to by the corporation’s board members and the Communications and Digital Ministry.
“When I was the head of director at Finas, my contract ended without being extended. This was when the CEO post was not yet introduced.
“Prior to this, there have been incidents where previous head of directors had their contract ended earlier, with some of them serving in the corporation for less than a year,” he said, noting that such decisions should be abided by since board members have a right to choose the CEO.
Kamil said this when contacted by Getaran, The Vibes’ sister portal, regarding the recent termination of Nasir’s contract, effective yesterday.
Kamil also dismissed claims of the decision being against the law, highlighting how the termination is in line with the terms and conditions outlined in Nasir’s contract, which was supposed to end on October 31.
“According to Section 9 of (Nasir’s) appointment letter, the corporation has the authority to terminate the CEO’s contract, with the approval of the ministry, at any time by either issuing a 30-day notice or providing one month’s salary.
“From a legal standpoint, it (Nasir’s contract termination) is completely legal,” he added.
‘Cronyism’
Meanwhile, when met by Getaran at a press conference on the matter today, Nasir said that he feels that he has been “wronged” by the decision to terminate his contract within 24 hours, as he was not given the opportunity to defend himself.
“I was neither called (by Finas board members) to discuss the termination, nor was I informed of it earlier.
“If there are parties who feel that I have integrity or misconduct issues, I have a right to be given the chance to defend myself.
“However, this did not happen, which is why I am shocked by the termination,” he said.
Adding that he had called for the press conference to clear his name, Nasir implied that elements of cronyism within Finas had led to him being made into a target, causing his early sacking.
“I know that there are some cronies in Finas. This is not good, but it is bound to happen in any organisation.
“Personally, I feel that there are some people who are not open to receiving criticism,” he said.
He added, however, that he has accepted the decision and is open to contributing to developments for the local film industry, saying: “I am willing to work with any party for the sake of advancing our film industry.”
Finas has since said that its CEO post will be temporarily held by the corporation’s deputy director-general (management) Rozita Waty Ridzuan for an interim period until the position is filled.
Nasir was appointed Finas CEO in November 2021. – The Vibes, June 1, 2023
Additional reporting by Rubini Nagarajah
