KULIM, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- The establishment of statutory bodies with overlapping functions needs to be controlled immediately, not to mention if they are created for the sake of creating positions for political appointees.
The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Datuk Adnan Mat said immediate action needs to be implemented as it could cause losses to the government and the country.
"It has already happened before (statutory bodies with overlapping functions) but we don't speak in the language of politics. Because the chairman is ultimately a politician, so that politician or this politician is appointed,” he said.
"Creating a statutory body to provide income for staunch supporters of a political organisation should not happen... It is like creating it to be used as a place for politicians to be there, ultimately this does not bring any good to the people and country," he said.
Adnan said this when met by reporters after the 'Coffee Break session with Cuepacs president' at the Kulim Town Hall today.
On Tuesday, the government announced the establishment of a Secretariat for the Rationalisation of Federal Statutory Bodies to address the issue of duplication of functions and to save national funds.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported to have said that there are too many and overlapping statutory bodies and if they are difficult to rationalise, they would be reduced and streamlined.
In the meantime, Adnan, who supports the government's efforts, said that Cuepacs itself had previously given views when the government wanted to establish a statutory body, which for him would only lead to duplication of roles.
"Previously we had commented to the government about the existence of the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), then new appointments were made and so on…many things were done but the same tasks were already in the Road Transport Department at that time.
"We had given an initial view but SPAD was still created, however, it was finally decommissioned. That's how the other agencies are, some of the scope is still the same but they are carried out by other executors, agencies or statutory bodies," he added.
-- BERNAMA
