The recent surge in politicians appointed to head government-linked entities has attracted broad criticism. These appointments are widely seen as political maneuverings by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to solidify his command of support of Dewan Rakyat members, thus ensuring the survival of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government which he currently heads. What could the implications of these appointments be to the governance of public entities, especially in the case of statutory bodies?

This Monitor briefly discusses the recent political appointments in statutory bodies from a governance perspective. It then considers changes in the policy orientation of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) in three separate administrations.