PETALING JAYA: A wide range of views has emerged on the Cabinet line-up but most analysts agree on one thing – it reflects the current political set-up and the need to appease all the parties involved.
“I think it does reflect the strength and number of seats that each party has,” said senior fellow from Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, Dr Azmi Hassan.
He described the appointments as “fair”, adding that they were made in tandem with the ratio of parliamentary seats held by each party.
The main factor in determining the line-up of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet was the need to please the political parties involved, he added.
This, he said, was to ensure that Anwar would have the support of the parties in the unity government.
“The political factor was crucial in determining the Cabinet appointments,” he added.
Azmi said the ministerial appointments might not please everyone.
DAP, he noted, has been relatively quiet since the Cabinet list was unveiled.
“I would understand why – they (Pakatan Harapan) needed to appease Barisan Nasional and thwart the advance of PAS,” he said.The 28-member Cabinet includes 15 Pakatan ministers comprising four from DAP, eight from PKR, two from Amanah and one from Upko.
There are six Barisan Nasional ministers, five from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, one from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and one without a political party – Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, a Syariah court chief judge who was appointed Religious Affairs Minister.
Presently, Anwar has the support of Pakatan’s 82 MPs, Barisan (30 MPs), GPS (23), GRS (six), Warisan (three), Muda (one), KDM (one), Parti Bangsa Malaysia (one) and two independent MPs.
International Islamic University Malaysia’s Dr Tunku Mohar Tunku Mohd Mokhtar said the Cabinet line-up was a result of negotiations between the Prime Minister and the component coalitions of the unity government.
“It reflects the proportionality of the components and party hierarchies,” he said.
He added that parties such as Muda and Warisan were not given ministerial positions, “but I think they would not protest about it”.
However, Tunku Mohar noted that Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister had compromised Pakatan’s pledge for good governance.
Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 charges involving criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering.
Universiti Sains Malaysia senior lecturer Dr Azmil Mohd Tayeb said the Cabinet was one which Anwar could cobble up based on the current political arrangement.
“It’s much slimmer and appeases almost everyone,” he said.
However, he was of the view that Anwar should not have assumed the Finance Minister’s post.
The last prime minister to hold both portfolios was Datuk Seri Najib Razak from 2008 to 2018.
Back then, this had come under criticism with Pakatan pledging in its 2018 general election manifesto that the prime minister would not hold the finance portfolio.Azmil also had reservations about the appointment of Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz (International Trade and Industry Minister).
“I don’t think it is a good idea, while excluding someone like Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad,” he said.
Dr Dzulkefly, the health minister in the Pakatan-led administration from 2018 to 2020, had defeated Tengku Zafrul in the battle for the Kuala Selangor seat.
Political analyst Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said the Cabinet appointments could appease those supporting the unity government “for a while, perhaps”.
He said the political parties would be “temporarily satisfied” with their allocated representation in the Cabinet.
“But politics nowadays is so fluid that anything could change rapidly,” he added.
Oh, however, conceded that the ministerial appointments reflected the proportion of the various parties in the administration.
“It is, in essence, a coalition government,” he added.
New Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been welcomed by many like a breath of fresh air. But can he cleanse the nation of the many ills it now suffers? It remains to be seen.
MY retired brother called from Penang the other day. He had yet to get his pension and needed some cash. Why? I asked. “Anwar has won and I want to celebrate with my friends,” he cheered. He is just one of many who are anamoured of our new Prime Minister.
There is also this man in Bukit Mertajam, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s hometown, who is buying everyone meals at restaurants around town.
Elsewhere, a large non-Muslim crowd gathered outside a mosque as Anwar prayed inside. And they mobbed him when he came out. Everywhere he goes, the PM is being cheered.
He’s probably the most welcomed Malaysian chief executive in living memory. It’s all quite exciting, but I think the celebrations are also a bit premature.
Yes, it has been a long wait for him, his supporters and those who have been rooting for him all these years. He has been the underdog, facing failure after failure, falling every time he believed he had reached the pinnacle.
It’s the kind of story that would touch any heart.
But it’s only the beginning. Now is not the time to put him on a pedestal. He has much to prove, and he could fall off that high horse any time, just as the last three prime ministers did.
The plotting is going on. Those who do not like the idea of him being PM will do their best to bring about his downfall.
It happened before in 2020 with the Sheraton Move; and even days after Anwar’s appointment, there was talk of a Tropicana Move.
That has been denied, but his performance will be under intense scrutiny. There will be little room for relaxation.
His first task just got done. He has named his full Cabinet, obviously done with much juggling, putting together a unity government that will keep everyone happy and yet meet his promise of a small Cabinet.
If that was hard, the really herculean task awaits now.
There is so much wrong with our country now – an economy in the doldrums, a ringgit that’s floundering, an education system that’s well off the mark, and a population that’s deeply divided.
There’s so much to do – or undo.
I say undo because Anwar himself may be responsible for some of those maladies. He was once Education Minister – way back in 1986 – and started a revolution in the system.
He is the man credited with Islamisation of our schools, and the growth of religious schools, while working with then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Those actions have come back to bite him, say analysts. Two weeks ago, his daughter lost the Permatang Pauh seat, held by members of his family since 1980, to a tahfiz teacher.
Anwar, and his Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), were the driving force behind such schools.
The children in many of these schools are being taught to only vote for a certain party, and with Undi18 now law, there was a flood of such voters, the analysts say.
With the mushrooming of religious schools, the days when children of all races laughed, played and mixed in schools seem to be long gone.
Now, schools are divisive. Even the syllabus has been questioned with Malays themselves asking why there are so many religious classes and too few teaching modern-day living skills like English, science and technology, computer know-how and things like that.
t;
The Chinese and Indians are flocking to vernacular schools, leaving the national school system largely to the majority Malays. So many Malays are also migrating to these vernacular schools.
Already, there is a call for one stream of education for all. I think it’s too early for that too. We first need to make the national school system the one of choice. For that, a good Education Minister is needed, as is a revamp of the school syllabus. Fadhlina Sidek and Datuk Seri Khaled Noordin have a lot to do.
We have heard the perennial complaints – discrimination in matriculation places, the closure of canteens during Ramadan, children forced to eat in the toilet and odd corners, non-Muslim children being left to their own devices during agama classes ... the list is long.
Public universities too need to be places where a Malaysian identity can be forged, not where differences are reinforced.
A National Unity Minister who sincerely believes in his job could be a big help. Aaron Ago Dagang, a man from Sarawak, could be the right choice.
There is a lot we can learn from the Borneo states, which have retained much of the old-world charm that places like George Town, Klang, Johor and even Kuala Lumpur once had; the days when Chinese coffee shops housed nasi kandar stalls and people of all races sat together at the same table, eating and drinking together.
Even my mee jawa man had prawn and beef broth for his different clientele, each with a different wok.
Then there’s the minister for Religion. We have all heard about the one from Indonesia; his mantra is that he is a minister for all religions – Islam, Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism.
It was not so the last time for the minister in Malaysia. He believed his job was only to cater to the religion of the federation.
What we need is a minister who looks at the similarities among religions, all of which preach peace and unity, not one who considers his religion superior and therefore untenable with the others.The Rulers have got it right. They have called for an end to all extremism, religious or racist, and for unity to be the main consideration. It is important that the government works towards bringing the bitterness to an end.
“I hope there are no more leaders who will raise racial or religious issues to provoke the people,” said Negri Sembilan’s Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir.
They also want the Rukun Negara, whose first tenet is “Belief in God”. It does not say which religion. The supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law are also important.
Now, it is up to the new PM. He has his job cut out for him. The honeymoon with the voters and adulation of the supporters will be over real soon.
The work – and it’s a lot of hard work – will have to begin. The pitfalls and booby traps are many. His supporters have faith that he will make it.
Five years from now – if Anwar succeeds as a unifying PM – we can celebrate as a nation. For now, though, I am holding that champagne, or non-alcoholic beer as the case may be.
Anwar says he took Finance Ministry to bring new policies
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who appointed himself Finance Minister in his new Cabinet, is hoping to
restore economic confidence through new policy approaches.
“I was not inclined (to take on the post), but I want to embark on new policy approaches and restore economic confidence among local traders as well as foreign investors.
“I
will be assisted by a strong team that isn’t only civil servants, but also a group of advisers who will not burden the government’s coffers,”
he said in announcing his Cabinet at Perdana Putra here yesterday.
In the follow-up press conference, Anwar said the Finance Ministry will be
assisted by several advisers led by former PETRONAS president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the new Cabinet members will be sworn in at 3pm today.
“I
will have a special meeting with the ministers so I can convey several matters to them, such as new rules, direction, and new methods,” he
said.
Anwar said ministers should begin their duties soon and he advised them to avoid wastage, bribes and power abuse.
“I have made it clear to the Cabinet that the unity government prioritises good governance and the need to reduce the people’s burden, as well as stimulating the economy,” he said.
The Prime Minister said his Cabinet, which comprises 28 ministers, is a clear signal to the people that the unity government, together with the civil service, will ensure its promises to the people are fulfilled.
The last prime minister who also served as a finance minister was Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Anwar had served as finance minister and deputy prime minister to then
premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad before being sacked in 1998.
This is the strongest criticism yet, written by a Malay about the contemptible Malay power elites.
Apa Malu!
Malays-and-muslim-two-of-a-kind-corrupt-arrogant/
aloq staq
awez khan ali Selamat Pagi Malaysia
The Malays are a broken people. Broken by our own leaders. Broken by the antics, greed, and hubris of Malay political leaders lost in a world where self-interest and nothing else, matters. It is a world where these political pariahs take every advantage of any opportunity to make themselves some money.
Whether these political pariahs are stealing money from Tabung Haji where Malays have saved their hard-earned cash in order to do their holy pilgrimage to Mecca, or getting commission and kickbacks in the purchase of Covid 19 vaccines which are critical to the saving of Malaysian lives – especially the most vulnerable Malaysians – the old and those in the front lines fighting the pandemic by putting their own lives in danger.
Whether it is playing Russian roulette with the lives of our Armed Forces by purchasing submarines and weapons not fit for purpose that could result in the death of our Armed forces or not providing them with Helicopters and weapons that they need to defend our nation and our people against any encroachments from without.
Our children’s education is disadvantaged by the hundreds of millions siphoned from the Ministry of Education budget. Money allocated to buy solar panels, laptop, text books and the construction of schools to anything else that our children would need for their education – the contracts to supply these items are grossly inflated to pay off politicians and even the ex PM’s wife, Rosmah Mansor.
They even take money from suppliers of food and drinks for our students. There is simply no limit to what these political pariahs will do to make money.
And as if the education of our children is not sacred enough for them to leave alone, the Islamic religion is also a source of funds for these political pariahs. They have no shame, they have no sense of fairness and certainly, there are without morals and ethics in their greed for anything they consider of value for themselves.
And the most despicable of things they do is for PAS to use Islam to benefit their political pariahs. And as if it is not enough that these political pariahs steal, their wives, children, and extended family are also into the thieving.
I spit upon these political pariahs.
These political pariahs are still today free to roam and plunder our nation at will. All of them Malays. Most of them are old. All of them must be discarded and punished for what they have done in plundering our national coffers. What they have plundered from our coffers must be taken back from them and put to good use to help our nation get back on its feet and prosper.
The narrative spun over and over again: that the Christians will destroy Islam, that the Chinese and DAP will take over the country, and that the Malays must have the political power to survive in their own Tanah Air is stale and are no longer relevant in the world the Malays live in today.
Let us get rid of these Malay political pariahs and banish them where they can no longer shame the Malays by what they do.
We know who they are, and it is time that these political pariahs be held to account for what they have done to the Malays.
Whether they are Prime Ministers, Ministers, Menteri Besar, all those loathsome and despicable Yang Berhormats or those little Napoleons who think that being a Malay gives them license to behave in an obnoxious manner to other Malays, and anybody else that question their plundering of our nation’s resources.
Let us start by making sure the Father of all Plunderers, Najib Razak, is in incarcerated immediately, to be followed by his wife, Rosmah Mansor and anyone else who has been the cause of the fall and fall of the Malays.
Today I am ashamed to call myself a Malay. Being a Malay means you have to take responsibility for what these Malay Political Pariahs have done.
Today being a Muslim in Malaysia is nothing to be proud of because all these plunderers, thieves, and scammers are Muslim. The non-Malays do not have to tell us these things.
There are many Malays today who can think, and we know what Malays have done to our country. You do not have to tell us how much the non-Malays have contributed to the development of Malaysia. We Malays know. You do not have to tell us that Malaysia is also your home. That too, we know. And we know that the Malays have been left behind by the others because it is all there for the Malays to see.
The best politicians are not Malays. The least corrupted politicians are not Malays. The most hard-working politicians who deliver on their promise to their electorates are not Malays. But this much we Malays know. The most corrupted politicians in Malaysia are Muslims. The most arrogant politicians are Muslims. And the politicians who do not deliver on their election promise are also Muslims.
So there you have it, this nation of ours has been brought to its knees by corruption and the political shenanigans and devious duplicity of these Malays and Muslims. And you and I know that it will also have to be the Malays and Muslims who will have to work to get these political pariahs into the dock, to be tried, convicted, and incarcerated if there is to be any hope for our nation to survive past 2020.