Cabinet’s decision to sack Dr Mahathir as Petronas adviser wise move, says minister

The Cabinet's decision to terminate the appointment of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the adviser of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) is a wise move as he is no longer supporting the government. MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the decision was based on the premise that the appointment was done when he was part of the government and a member of the ruling party.  "It is the prerogative power of the prime minister to appoint a person who is supportive of the government to such positions (GLC advisor) and once you move away from the government into the realms of the opposition you already crossed the boundary. "He (Tun M) is already working along with the opposition to destabilise the government of the day and, of course, we cannot continually support what he is doing," he told reporters after officiating the International College of Dentists (ICD) Asia-Pacific Congress and Trade Exhibition 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, today. The three-day congress assembled over 20 world international speakers and 600 delegates around the world, aimed to provide deep insights on advancement taking place in the industry. The Prime Minister's Office in a statement yesterday said the Cabinet unanimously agreed to terminate the appointment of Dr Mahathir as the adviser of Petronas. It said the Cabinet felt that since Dr Mahathir no longer supported the government, he should not be holding any position associated with the government. "The dismissal of Dr Mahathir was not influenced by a political decision, Petronas is an entity under the government and not a party appointment," he said. Dr Mahathir was appointed the adviser of Petronas after he stepped down as the prime minister in 2003. He remains as the chairman of Proton Holdings Bhd, a post to which he was appointed in June 2014. – Bernama, March 12, 2016.]]>