When banker Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in the second Abdullah Cabinet after the March 8 “political tsunami”, he was hailed as a professional and technocrat to oversee the Economic Planning Unit.
Amirsham himself pledged on his Cabinet appointment on 18th March 2008: “I will use my banking experience in the best interest of the country and exercise professionalism in every step I take.”
But what a letdown by Amirsham during question time in Parliament just now. Amirsham’s professionalism was completely absent. What is worse – he shamed himself publicly when he was exposed to be a Minister completely under the thumb of the “world’s richest unemployed”!
This happened when Khairy Jamaluddin (Rembau MP) asked the Prime Minister a highly slanted question on the New Economic Policy. In a supplementary question, Khairy distorted the statement by the Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng on the eradication of NEP abuses of corruption, cronyism and economic inefficiency.
This was not surprising. What created a ruckus in the House was Amirsham’s response, reading from a prepared text to the supplementary question meant to be impromptu and extemporaneous.
It was not only a planted question but also a planted answer.
As I alleged in the House in the ruckus just now, it was clear to all that the “world’s richest unemployed” had not only asked the supplementary question, he had also prepared the answer to be read out by Amirsham!
Advice to Amirsham – Stay away from the MP for Rembau if you want to protect your professional and technocratic credentials as they will be the first casualties if there is another parliamentary scandal of the professional and technocrat Minister under the thumb of the “world’s richest unemployed”!