Unless the appointment process is institutionalised, there is a risk that all the good appointments so far could be undone in a day if the next PM so wishes.
As a country, we cannot hope for and depend on the good intentions and graces of the PM but we need strong and independent institutions and processes to hold the PM and all public officials accountable.
A sound appointment process would include a nomination committee which receives nominations from all stakeholders should be set up to shortlist qualified candidates. These should then be forwarded to a parliamentary select committee who will look for a candidate who can command public confidence, then recommend the chosen candidate to the PM or even directly to the king.
While it may not be possible to undo key appointments that have already been installed, Bersih 2.0 urges the PM to respect the institution of the Parliament and allow the PSC on major public appointments to conduct a review of appointed commissioners, chief justice, IGP, director-generals and chairpersons of GLICs/GLCs.
Bersih 2.0 also calls on the PSC on major appointments to come out with clear scope of their mandate and process of vetting appointments. These should be made public and stakeholders consulted, especially civil society, before they are finalised. Once again, Bersih 2.0 lauds the appointment of Latheefa but urges the PM to expedite the legal amendments necessary to institutionalise and democratise the process of major appointments, including the Election Commission in future, make key public institutions independent and empower them so that they can serve as effective checks and balances. If this can be achieved before Mahathir steps down, it will be one of his most important and enduring legacies to this nation.
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