PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Mohamad Nazri Aziz said that his son Nedim’s appointment as his special officer was not nepotism because he was not on the government payroll.

The Tourism and Culture Minister described the appointment as just a symbolic move to allow his youngest son to help organise programmes in his Padang Rengas constituency.

The minister explained that he had previously appointed his son to help him in Perak before and during the recent general election.

“I needed him to engage with the Gen Y voters.

“Since he is young, I engaged his help.

“But he is not a salaried worker,” Nazri was quoted by a news portal as saying.

An aide to Nazri, when contacted, confirmed that Nedim was not a gazetted officer of the ministry.

“Gazetted officers include his press secretary and private secretary,” the official said.

She pointed out that Nedim was to be paid by Nazri and the ministers could appoint as many special officers as they wanted.

The ministry’s official portal lists Nedim as one of two special officers in the ministry.

– THE STAR