KUALA LUMPUR – The appointments of key national positions in the government will be screened by a special parliamentary committee if Barisan Nasional (BN) continues to rule the country after the upcoming 15th general election (GE15), Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
Unveiling BN’s manifesto for the polls, he announced that individuals will be vetted prior to assuming positions in organisations. These include the positions of chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and chairman of the Election Commission.
“Through their representatives in Parliament, the people will be given the mandate to scrutinise and be involved in screening appointments to the most important positions in the nation,” said Zahid, a former deputy prime minister.
Meanwhile, the coalition will enact a Political Funding Act, a law said to ensure political practices in the nation are conducted with responsibility and transparency, he added.
“BN is determined to ensure that political practices in this country are brought to life only in a responsible and transparent manner, through the enactment of the Political Funding Act,” he said in a recorded speech aired on BN’s social media platform.
He also promised the abolishment of import permits and approved permit fees for all types of electric cars, allowing wider access to affordable eco-friendly vehicles for Malaysians.
These are some of the points in BN’s “Perancangan Amal dan Usaha (Planning of Charity and Efforts)” (Padu), a plan which Zahid describes as a “doubling of efforts” to lay important foundations to create a better future for Malaysians.
To ensure that Padu is successfully executed, Zahid added that BN will form a committee with suitable knowledge, experience, and authority needed to administer the manifesto.
Currently, the MACC chief commissioner is appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the prime minister.
Tan Sri Rais Yatim, chairman of the Special Committee on Corruption, had in August this year suggested an amendment to Article 145 of the federal constitution that would make MACC answerable to Parliament.
According to Rais, amending the MACC Act would bring the agency under the purview of Parliament, where the legislative body will not be allowed to interfere with the commission’s prosecutive powers. – The Vibes, November 7, 2022
