YOURSAY | 'Imagine having him at the top of the bureaucracy that controls the nation’s purse strings...'

Irwan: Agong never signed my appointment as Bank Negara governor

Gggg: Did The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) say the Yang di-Pertuan Agong signed Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah's appointment as Bank Negara governor?

There is a difference between offered, selected and appointed.

Democrat: We all know his name was on top of the list for obvious reasons. To say the Agong did not sign his appointment, so WSJ's report can't be true, is like a schoolkid's argument.

Irwan Serigar, the WSJ did not say your appointment was signed. It said you were selected by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Sleepy: The stupidity here leaves me speechless. Irwan says WSJ lied because the government decided to appoint somebody else, the operative word being "decided". Where is the lying part?

Yellow Bird: Since your understanding of English is so horrendous, Malaysians should thank their lucky stars you're not the new governor.

Mushiro: Would Irwan Serigar have access to the appointment letter by the Agong? This would be an official secret document before Najib makes a final decision to offer.

Kim Quek: Irwan’s uncalled-for attack against WSJ betrays his low mentality and his slavish overzealousness to exonerate his political boss. WSJ said he was the forerunner, and never said his appointment was signed and sealed.

Imagine having such a dim-witted political minion sitting at the pinnacle of the bureaucracy that controls the nation’s purse strings and safeguards its financial health (the all-powerful Finance Ministry).

What a disaster it would have been if his intended appointment as Bank Negara governor had not be thwarted by WSJ’s timely exposure.

Kuasa Rakyat: Irwan Serigar, an adviser to 1MBD and therefore implicated in all the rubbish that 1MBD is doing, almost became the governor of Bank Negara.

The rakyat are thankful to WSJ for playing a big part in ensuring this did not take place.

‘Agong consented to only one name for Bank Negara governor’

Oxymoronictendencies: To be honest, who cares. WSJ reported that the government had intended to appoint Irwan Serigar as the Bank Negara governor.

Then they changed their mind and appointed Bank Negara deputy Muhammad Ibrahim instead. So what's the big deal?

SteveOh: Let me get this straight. Such appointments are normally made on the recommendations of the government of the day.

The report makes it out as if the King only agreed to one recommendation. How misleading is that?

The casual reader will then think the King only chose (consented to) one name, out of several, which is not the case.

Does anything happen in Malaysia without controversy and confusion? I suspect there is too much lying and spinning.

Oscar Kilo: The WSJ reported in early March that Irwan Serigar was selected to be the new governor.

The actual appointment of Muhammad Ibrahim occurred only this week, which is end of April. So there was plenty of time for the government to make a U-turn decision.

The Magician: The Agong approves the appointment to seal the person's appointment as the Bank Negara governor.

The Agong is given one name only, because the cabinet makes an educated process of the appointment and as such, the Agong relies on its decision.

Aziz Kader: Of course one name will go to the palace, because the selection is made by the PM.

If the palace is to make the selection, the PM should provide several names for the palace's final decision. Correct me if I am wrong.

Fairnsquare: The appointment of Muhammad Ibrahim as Bank Negara governor is a good one, irrespective of how many names were considered.

WSJ's report was based on their own sources. As citizens, we should accept the His Majesty's clarification and move on.

We still need to worry about the 1MDB issues and solutions rather than be diverted by other issues.

Anonymous 2408331459156146: I just want to ask, why was the appointment of the governor made at the 11th hour?

When you have lost your integrity, no one will believe anything you say.

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