Jalan Kapas, 1feb23: It is hard to defend Anwar Ibrahim’s decision to appoint his own daughter, Nurul Izzah, as the Prime Minister’s senior financial advisor. The PM being Anwar himself, that is, aside from beiing the Minister of Finance as well. But Omar Ong, once an advisor to a prime minister of this country, and not one of Anwar’s favourite persons (if I’m not mistaken), suggests that Anwar’s appointment of his daughter could easily be justified. The good thing is Omar does not try to fool anyone by saying that the appointment isn’t an act of nepotism because it is, which ever way you want to see it. But so what? Omar argues in his latest posting on his blog Musings of the (occasional) thinker, planner and do-er that nepotism is alive and well in Malaysia, and has been so since Merdeka.
Excerpts:
There are many who today argue that nepotism in whatever shape, form or circumstance, has no place at all in society and public office. That it is by definition a corrupt, self serving act that inevitably corrodes trust and good will in society. I am not one of them and if it is not already obvious, more sanguine in my view.
But I would very much like to hear how those who subscribe to such an unequivocal belief, would characterise the moral and ethical positions of Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn during their time in public office.
I am also certain there are those who honestly and sincerely believe nepotism has no place in society and I would like to understand your perspective as it applies present day to the 10th Prime Minister, his party as well as to the DAP, PAS and other Sarawak & Sabah based parties, where such practices are alive and well.
Is nepotism by sheer virtue of its presence, a death knell for public trust and good governance?
Or can it also be a benign force in a period of great personal mistrust, misunderstanding and Machiavellian machinations among the great, the good, the bad and downright ugly who lead in our name?
READ ALSO: Much Ado about Nurul, also by Omar Ong
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