SHAH ALAM – Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has been appointed an economic advisor to the Selangor government.

Announcing the appointment, Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said the move was part of the state government’s efforts to improve Selangor’s economic status and making Shah Alam an Islamic capital.

However, the Federal government is sceptical about Anwar’s role in Selangor’s money matters.

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim said the state alredy has a strong economic. “Surely, the appointment of Anwar is just a gimmick to show the PKR can ‘survive’ within a new setting and a new image?,” he commented.

Experiece and influence

Khalid told reporters at the state assembly lobby on Saturday that the state needed a person with experience and with no ties with the state administration, adding that Anwar fit the bill and would liaise with the Mentri Besar’s office directly.

He said Anwar had consented and his appointment letter would be ready at the coming state executive council meeting.

He added that the former deputy prime minister and finance minister will be given a ‘token monthly allowance’ of RM1 with immediate effect.

Khalid said besides having served as a DPM and finance minister, Anwar was also a director of a fund management company in the United States as well as an advisor to a large Islamic bank in Europe. Asked why, Anwar accepted the RM1 allowance for the job, the mentri besar said it was Anwar’s charitable contribution to the state.

'It's just a gimmick'

In KUALA KLAWANG, Negri Sembilan, Rais said Anwar’s appointment is like "selling old water in an old bottle."

"Such gimmick sometimes can be sold but most times nobody wants to buy it<" he told reporters after officiating at the closing of a school and hostel ‘open house’ celebration at SK Putra and launching an education awareness campaign for the Orang Asli community at Simpang Durian, near here, on Saturday.

In another development, Khalid said he wants state acting Opposition Leader Satim Diman (BN – Sri Serdang) to apologise for using the RM66.67mil Guthrie loan issue to insult him (the mentri besar).

Khalid said he had won the case against Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd (BIMB) and was allowed by the court to sue the bank.

Case against acting S'gor opposition chief

“He (Satim) has till Monday or I’ll table a motion to refer him to the rights and privileges committee,’’ he said in his winding up speech in the legislative House on Friday.

Three days earlier, Satim told the assembly that the court case involving Khalid and his failure to pay the debts had created doubts among the people on his ability to manage the state.

It was reported in October that the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Khalid’s application to suspend an order to pay the bank RM66.67mil pending the trial of his suit against the bank, set for early February next year.