PKR's Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid has been appointed to head Tekun Nasional, an agency tasked with providing financing facilities to Bumiputera businesses, according to a letter from an aide to the prime minister that has been making the rounds.

Tekun Nasional is an agency under the entrepreneur development and cooperatives ministry.

A copy of the letter bearing the letterhead of the Prime Minister's Office also named Amanah's Sany Hamzan as his deputy, and former Upko president Bernard Dompok as chairman of SME Corp, which comes under the same ministry.

It said that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had approved the trio's appointments.

MalaysiaNow is trying to verify the appointments with the PMO.

When contacted, Sany, who is also the Hulu Langat MP, said he had not been informed of the appointment.

"I have yet to receive the letter," he said.

Abdullah, a staunch loyalist of Anwar, lost his Kapar parliamentary seat to PAS' Halimah Ali by a majority of more than 11,000 votes at the general election last year.

The government has been criticised of late over a series of politically linked appointments to government agencies and GLCs.

These include the appointments of two loyalists of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to head powerful government bodies in charge of Bumiputera economic development.

Former Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki was named as chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat or Mara, while Kelantan Umno chief Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub was named to head Felcra.

PKR’s Balik Pulau MP, Bakhtiar Wan Chik, meanwhile, was named as chairman of finance ministry-owned investment arm MyCreative Ventures Sdn Bhd, and Amanah's Husam Musa appointed as chairman of Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd.

Less than a month after taking office, Anwar's government terminated political appointees at statutory bodies and government-related companies.