THE ‘CHOP’ NOT ENOUGH, MUKHRIZ – IF GUILTY OF POWER ABUSE, THEY MUST BE CHARGED: TOP CIVIL SERVANTS WHO ‘PROTECT CRIMINALS’ WILL GET THE BOOT – EX MB

SEVERAL top civil servants would get the chop should Pakatan Harapan capture Putrajaya, said Bersatu deputy president Mukhriz Mahathir.

He said PH promised to remove these government officers within 30 days in office, in response to a question at a dialogue session with NGOs in Senawang, Negri Sembilan, today.

“It’s okay to side the government of the day but they have gone out of their way to protect criminals. To us, Najib Razak is a criminal and it is unacceptable,” the former Kedah menteri besar said to a question from a participant on how PH would treat some top-ranking civil servants if it won the 14th general election.

Mukhriz did not say which top civil servants would be booted.

A NGO representative had demanded to know what the pact would do about the attorney-general (AG), inspector-general of police (IGP) and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chiefs seen to be partial to Barisan Nasional lynchpin party, Umno.

Mukhriz said all civil servants, regardless of their position, should work in the interest of the people.

“In ‘Buku Harapan’ (PH manifesto), the appointments of senior civil servants will have to be approved by Parliament, before they are submitted for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s consent,” he said.

The PH manifesto states that the AG will be appointed by MPs to separate the AG’s Chambers from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which will be independent. The AG will have ministerial status and act as legal advisor to the government.

On why PH did not have a younger leader, Mukhriz said Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the best person to go toe-to-toe with Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“The only one who can defeat Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor and the whole BN machinery is Dr Mahathir.

“But he is always reminding us that he is already 92 and would not be  prime minister for too long, and that he means only to help with the transition, to convince the people,” he said, adding that the combined experience of young leaders like him, Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar could not match Dr Mahathir’s.

“Let Dr Mahathir lead PH, be our prime minister candidate with Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as deputy prime minister candidate.

“I believe the two of them can convince the people,” he said.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT