KUALA LUMPUR: The Entrepreneur Development Ministry has identified a new candidate to be appointed as Bank Rakyat chairman and it will be announced soon. 

Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof (pic) said that the candidate would not have any political affiliations and has been involved internationally with banking management. 

“It will be announced soon. If I could, I would have announced yesterday. But we need to adhere to the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM)’s procedure. I don’t want to jump the gun.

“I can guarantee that the new candidate is a professional who has been involved internationally in banking management,” he said to reporters during a press conference in Parliament on Thursday (Nov 29). 

Mohd Redzuan said that it is crucial to obtain BNM’s opinion over the matter to ensure that the new candidate fits in to Bank Rakyat’s new vision and management styles. 

However, Mohd Redzuan said that the new candidate is likely to be unveiled before the end of this year. 

According to Mohd Redzuan, Tan Sri Shukry Mohd Salleh was sacked as Bank Rakyat chairman because his alleged involvement in tampering the original audit report of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) has given a negative perception towards the bank’s image. 

However, Shukry has yet to face a single charge over his involvement in the matter.

“The question of being charged or not, to me, is immaterial. Once you are tainted, the perception will be negative towards the bank’s image,” the minister added. 

According to Mohd Redzuan, the ministry initially wanted to wait until Shukry’s three-year contract as Bank Rakyat chairman ends. 

However, when Shukry was implicated in the tampering of the 1MDB audit reports, Mohd Redzuan said that he had no choice but to sack him as the bank’s chairman. 

“It involves integrity as well as treason towards the country. So, I did not hesitate to sack him because we must be fair.” 

Shukry was the former principal private secretary to former premier Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. He was appointed to the helm of the bank in January last year. 

He was implicated by Auditor-General Tan Sri Madinah Mohamad as ordering changes to be made to the 1MDB audit reports on Feb 26, 2016.