COMMENT | Why is govt not learning from costly mistakes?

COMMENT | After the back-door government was in place in 2020 after the now infamous Sheraton Move, an audio recording made its rounds which was purportedly made at the Bersatu Supreme Council meeting on Feb 23.

In the recording, a voice resembling then prime minister in waiting, Muhyiddin Yassin, wanted to entice Umno leaders to join his party with promises of positions in the cabinet and GLCs.

The voice had said: “If they know a new government is going to be formed with Umno, why not tell them to join us now rather than later? I think if we do that… 10, 20 people… Najib and his gang… and we give them positions… if not ministers, then chairmen of GLCs.

“They might not want to be left out. Rather than stay now and become the opposition, they want to be a part of the government.”

Appointments in government-linked companies and government bodies were the long-standing practice of the BN government to reward their supporters and cronies. Usually, Umno took the bulk, leaving MCA and MIC to feed on the crumbs.