AWO as ‘Red Box’ Minister?

AWO as the ‘Red Box’ Minister, to focus on the finance in PM Najib’s transformation agenda

Rumours circulating that Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak is relinquishing his post as Minister of Finance and Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (in charge of EPU) Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar will replace him in a Cabinet reshuffle anytime soon.

Wahid who is Fellow Certified Accountant and member of Malaysian Institute of Accountants was the immediate past President of Maybank Group. Before that he was the CEO of Renong Group and Telekom Malaysia.

He has had more than 28 years of hard nose experience in merchant and investment banking, corporate finance, over all and turn around management in infrastructure, telecommunication and commercial banking is thought to be the best candidate to assume this job. His wealth of experience, which include macro economic and economic transformation planning the past two years would be invaluable to propel the nation forward under the stewardship of Prime Minister Najib.

Prime Minister Najib has less than five years to bring up the nation to a level befitting a developed nation status, as per envisaged by Fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when he started the initiative as ‘Vision 2020’ almost a quarter century ago.

He also wanted to reduce the deficit of the Malaysian economy, rationalise and restructure subsidies aimed for the needful lot and address the borrowings.

At the same time, all these initiatives are couple with economic transformation programs to propel the nation into a high value economy and provide more jobs and opportunities, especially in a vast growing younger Malaysian denomination and live up to the challenges of their expectations.

It makes perfect sense to have a full time Finance Minister, who is able to focus on both the strategy and tactical roll outs. The fact that Wahid is apolitical and play the role with utmost professionalism would be a boon for Prime Minister Najib to realise his transformation agenda for Malaysia.

Other names have also been floated around in the Cabinet reshuffle. This include a new Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Deputy Finance and Information and Communication Ministers.