YOURSAY | Daddy's connections can work wonders for an intern

YOURSAY | ‘How many others were given such an opportunity to climb the ladder so fast?’

Nooryana: Leissner got me an intern job, I was just the PowerPoint girl

Coward: I am not sure what the purpose of Nooryana Najwa Najib’s disclosure here is.

The daughter of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak is practically completing the picture confirming that her father was lying when he said there was no favour given to him (over the 1MDB scandal and the involvement of multinational investment bank Goldman Sachs).

Her disclosure of what happened (after reports emerged that Najib had sought jobs for his children at the bank) and her action subsequently have shown that more things don’t add up and do not prove that she was there (at private equity firm TPG) on her own merits.

TPG (where she gained an internship after being introduced by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner who testified in court on the matter) seems to have expended too many resources and effort to get her an overseas internship and proper job to justify the returns it got from her.

I am also ignoring the fact that the way she had described her intern work appears to have nothing to do with her eventual appointment because I think she just doesn’t realise she was doing that.

The menial work she was describing (of having to do PowerPoint slides and other spadework) is part of the work of all juniors in a team.

Maybe I am not her target audience. Her target audience might agree with her.

Anonymous_15897: This is the normal career trajectory for the children of the elites.

1. Daddy will get them an easy cushy job in a big branded ‘mat salleh’ (white person) company, preferably in the US or Europe so they can enjoy the perks.

They get a fancy title, don’t have to do any actual work and can spend their time enjoying life using the big allowance they still get from daddy.

2. After a short while, daddy will get them to be a director on the board of some companies. Again, no work is required, just enjoy life, shopping, parties and holidays.

3. Become an "entrepreneur" and "young leader". Basically, use daddy's money to play business and act as chief executive officer (CEO), but the actual business is managed by others while they enjoy life.

Then give interviews to local media about how they "never depended on family and worked their way up" and how they are "serial entrepreneurs who believe in hard work and resilience".

Then all those around them will say how great and capable they are.

4. Optional: Join politics and plunder like daddy.

Most of the children of the elite have this same career path.

IndigoKite6964: For the right salary (befitting of a family member of the prime minister and first lady of Malaysia), I wouldn’t mind the spadework, making coffee and being a PowerPoint guy either.

Furthermore, I would get to stay in Hong Kong and be paid a Hong Konger's salary.

Of course, I cannot be staying in a 10 x 15 pigeon hole and so my salary must be commensurate with my lifestyle. Otherwise, my mother will get personal... you know what I mean.

So why defend yourself, Nooryana? Goldman Sachs is not the only international bank. I think you would do better in Maybank and be based perhaps in London. I am sure your networking will reach the top of Menara Maybank, no?

Kiwi: I got a degree in computer science and have always wanted to work at Nasa but sadly, I don't have a rich, influential parent to pull the string.

I wouldn’t have minded if I was to just be given the opportunity to clean the toilet there but sadly, no one came and interviewed me.

The problem with all these rich children is that they think they are entitled and they are perfectly not wrong to be a PowerPoint girl in London. It’s a dumb argument.

I can see more and more second-generation politician children who are coming out to defend their parents while also scoring it big in their careers. If you (ordinary people) comment further, they will say you have a ‘kampung’ (village) mentality.

YellowKancil0051: Bottom of the food chain? So how did she save up enough in 18 months as an intern and junior analyst to have her own business and further her studies at the same time?

This is the pattern of most kleptocrats' children. Have some so-called work experience so they can look like self-made millionaires/billionaires living off their parents.

Well Thats Fantastic: An internship for only 11 months then promoted to full-time analyst and transferred to Hong Kong, a financial hub for the world? How many other students were given such an opportunity to climb the ladder so fast?

Live2MTB: Get a job on your own merits. All other Malaysians have to. Having the head of Goldman Sachs make an introduction for you opens an unfair advantage and still reeks of corruption of power.

Moonlighting: You being just a PowerPoint girl is not the point. The point is your daddy asked for favours for the 1MDB deal.

By the way, in your resume, did you put in that you were just an intern girl doing PowerPoint, photocopying, and making coffee as well as doing deliveries?

I guess not.

LimeGoat2442: We need to bring back meritocracy to this country. Malaysian youths have great potential but they need good opportunities to help them get ahead.

The country does not have enough good jobs to go around, even declining over the years... whatever good jobs that remain go to the children of the elites.

Malaysia is also evolving to become a plutocracy like the US.

YellowImpala3311: From intern to analyst, with a move halfway around the world. Must have been a very good PowerPoint presentation.

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