The Cabinet at its meeting tomorrow should save Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the nation from further embarrassment as well as avert snowballing public protests by vetoing the Prime Minister’s shocking appointment of Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad as acting chairman of Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD).

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet should be convinced by now that the appointment of Isa as acting Chairman of SPAD is the most unpopular appointment of a GLC Chairman, opposed by all sectors of society, embracing the civil service, the civil society and UMNO and BN rank-and-file. There are only brickbats and denunciations without a single good word for Isa’s new appointment.

It is most shocking that the “wizard” of government transformation, Datuk Idris Jala could even think of Isa’s appointment to head SPAD, which goes against all principles and precepts of government transformation.

Idris should clarify what “governance quantum leap” he has in mind for SPAD with his “musical chair” proposition for Isa to be moved from FGV to SPAD.

Some 700 to 800 taxi drivers in the Klang Valley have given notice that they will launch a protest against Isa’s appointment as SPAD acting Chairman as they want someone “cleaner” for the post.

The Klang Valley Taxi Drivers Action Committee chairman Zailani Isausuludin said the protest will take place in front of the Petaling Jaya Civic Hall on July 3.

Zailani said that cabbies in the country want someone else to helm the commission instead of Isa, whose reputation had been soiled by the Felda Global Venture Holding Bhd (FGV) boardroom tussle.

He said:”We want someone cleaner to chair SPAD. To us, bringing in another politician as chairman, like what had happened at Felda, is just a new political colonisation of SPAD. If you just need someone to chair meetings, why do you need a politician? Have we no good leaders in Malaysia?”

If the Cabinet does not have the moral and political courage to do what is right for the country to veto Najib’s appointment of Isa to head SPAD, then the 36 Ministers must expect the protests against Isa’s appointment to snowball into a national movement which would receive the support of Malaysians who are fed up with rampant corruption and blatant cronyism under the Umno/BN government.

I expect such support for the protests against corruption and cronyism as represented by Isa’s appointment to cross political party lines.