The senior political secretary to the Malaysian prime minister, has resigned following public controversy over a contractor support letter.
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Announcing his decision on social media on Tuesday, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin stated he resigned to “defend myself” against attacks regarding his involvement in issuing a letter of support for contractors on a hospital project.
He expressed concerns that the controversy could “tarnish the image of the government”.
The resignation follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s confirmation in parliament on November 18 that he reprimanded a political secretary over the letter, which was issued last year.
While Anwar did not explicitly name Shamsul Iskandar, he clarified the government’s strict rules against issuing such support letters.
Anwar emphasised that government principles “do not permit such actions,” stating, “issuing any form of support is not allowed.” He noted that the only acceptable response to contracting letters is to write “please review”.