The appointment of Dr Jamaludin Jarjis as finance minister II shows that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad still hasn't found someone he could trust fully to run the country's financial affairs, said PAS Youth chief Mahfuz Omar (photo, below).

Mahfuz said there was no need for Mahathir, who is also finance minister I, to appoint Jamaludin, when he is still holding the reins in the ministry and deciding on policy matters.

"While I congratulate Jamaludin on being promoted to this challenging post, I do not see why there is a need for Mahathir to create another post in the Finance Ministry," said Mahfuz, who is also Kuala Kedah MP.

"If Mahathir needs people to assist him in implementing policies, then he already has two deputies and a parliamentary secretary," said Mahfuz when contacted today.

Personal interest

Describing the creation of the new post as "mind-boggling", Mahfuz said Mahathir's reluctance to give up his post may imply that his personal interest is at stake.

"For instance, he may want to cover up certain scandals such as Perwaja and other related issues which involve his cronies," he said.

Despite all that, Mahfuz hoped that Jamaludin, who is also the member of Parliament for Rompin, could prove his worth and strengthen Malaysia's economy.

He added that Jamaludin may be able to improve the ministry's performance, especially in implementing policies from the annual budget.

However, Mahfuz called on Jamaludin, who is also Tenaga Nasional chairperson, to give up all his corporate posts to ensure that there will be no conflict of interest.

Leadership transition

Meanwhile, Umno Youth exco Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz is confident that Jamaludin would be able to navigate Malaysia's economy to a stronger position.

"He certainly has certain qualities which have helped him to gain the trust of the prime minister," said Ikmal Hisham, who is deputy chairperson for the movement's economic bureau.

Ikmal Hisham added that the creation of the new post may lift some of Mahathir's burden, so that he could concentrate on complex policy matters.

Asked whether Jamaludin's appointment was part of the 'leadership transition process', Ikmal Hisham said "people are free to speculate", though he himself refused to comment on it.

Dean of the Economic and Management Faculty in Universiti Putra Malaysia, Prof Dr Nik Mustafa Raja Abdullah said the post of second finance minister was long overdue.

The post was once given to Mustapa Mohamed, the National Economic Action Council executive director, in 1999 following the economic crisis, but he did not hold it for long and lost in the general election later in the year.

'Not alien'

"I believe that Mahathir needs someone who is capable of running the day-to-day operation which is currently getting more complex as the world is facing a lot of uncertainties, especially the threat of war and terrorism," Nik Mustafa said when contacted.

"With someone he could trust being there to do the job, it will be easier for him to formulate policy matters," he added.

On Jamaludin's credibility, Nik Mustafa is convinced that financial matters are "not alien" to the former academician, considering his background in running giant corporations like Tenaga Nasional.

"Besides, he has also been entrusted to look at financial matters as chairperson of the public account committee of the Parliament," he said.

Meanwhile, Keadilan secretary-general Sahri Bahari said the mini cabinet reshuffle has sent a signal to prime-minister-in-waiting Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Mahathir is still very much want to control the cabinet although he is retiring soon.

He added that Jamaluddin's appointment is mainly to facilitate the approval of certain projects to people who are linked to the premier.

Jamaludin's appointment, together with that of two others, was announced yesterday by the Prime Minister's office.

The others promoted are former deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, now minister in the Prime Minister's Department, and former Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin, now deputy minister in the same ministry.