Support letter does not guarantee position applied for - Ismail Sabri

A minister giving out recommendations or letter of support, including minuting an application letter for position in an organisation does not guarantee the person the job or position, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the decision to appoint individuals for any position in an organisation is the right of the organisation itself.

"All kinds of people came to ask for my recommendation and I will give it," he told reporters after attending an event with members of the Slim River branch Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association (ATM) at Felda Besout 2 near here, today.

He said this in response to his letter supporting an application by Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz's son to be appointed as a board member of a pharmaceutical company, which went viral since yesterday.

Ismail Sabri said he supported the application because the deputy minister's son was a graduate in civil engineering and a successful businessman and believed that his experience could be useful to the pharmaceutical company.

Ismail Sabri said although he supported the application, it was learnt that the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), which owns the pharmaceutical company, did not appoint the deputy minister's son.

"I did not interfere in terms of appointment. That is the power of LTAT, " he said and praised his deputy minister for not abusing his power by forwarding the application for his son's appointment in the pharmaceutical company directly to LTAT.

"He (deputy minister) could just go direct to the company chairman because the appointment of the company's board of directors is by LTAT itself," he added.

-- BERNAMA