Former senator Ezam Md Noor said the appointment of Mohd Bakke Salleh, a former 1MDB director, as the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), was a wrong decision by the Pakatan Harapan government.

A "flabbergasted" Bakke had in 2009 resigned from the 1MDB board in protest of the 1MDB management's move to divert US$700 million to Good Star Ltd, a company controlled by businessperson Low Taek Jho.

Good Star was the very first phase in which 1MDB's funds were diverted. This was subsequently followed by three other phases until 2013.

Ezam had in 2017 named Bakke and other 1MDB officer bearers in a suit against the company over the alleged misappropriation of at least US$3.66 billion.

"Maintaining him (Bakke) in existing government-linked companies pending a comprehensive investigation on 1MDB may be acceptable but making a new appointment into a government agency is wrong and completely unacceptable.

"The new government's commitment to correct the wrongs of the past, particularly on 1MDB, must be comprehensive.

"It would be foolish and nonsensical if we were to assume the billions stolen from the country only involved two or three 'robbers'," Ezam (photo) said in a statement today.

Ezam, who started off in Umno then joined PKR before going back to Umno and quitting again, also questioned why the new government was giving the "VIP treatment" to certain individuals whose names had cropped up in the 1MDB scandal.

"The brother of the sixth prime minister who got entangled with the 1MDB scandal is still getting special treatment. Why?

"Is it because he is from a notable family and leads a major bank therefore the wrongs of the past can be erased?" he said.

Ezam said the government should take corrective measures in this issue so as not to be seen as betraying the people's trust.

Ezam appeared to be referring to CIMB chairperson Nazir Abdul Razak.

Nazir had said he regretted helping his brother, then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, to disburse US$7 million for the 13th general election.

"I assumed and believed, in good faith, that the funds came from legitimate political fund-raising," he had said.

The money trail from investigations suggested the money came from 1MDB.

Nazir subsequently went on leave for an internal investigation by CIMB.