Pakatan’s ‘shadow cabinet’ list

This columnist has talked to a Pakatan MP who has furnished some of the names for a few of the major ministries and the rest are based on her observation.

COMMENT

Recently there has been much talk pertaining to Pakatan Rakyat’s shadow cabinet as the Barisan Nasional side has mocked Pakatan for being unable to name names and accordingly this means that Pakatan is far from ready to govern.

Be that as it may, this columnist has talked to a Pakatan MP who wished to remain anonymous who has furnished some of the names for a few of the major ministries while some are names culled through observations from the performances of these lawmakers from the statements they have made or during their debates in the Parliament or State Legislative Assemblies and also through personal conversations with them, their friends or their acquaintances.

While this list attempts to show a fair representation, inevitably there will be ministries wherein the representation of certain parties will be more than others.

Appended below is the all-important list:

Prime Minister: Anwar Ibrahim (PKR, Permatang Pauh MP)

1. Deputy Prime Ministers:

a. Lim Kit Siang (DAP, Ipoh Timur MP)

b. Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS, Marang MP)

c. One seat for either a Sabahan or a Sarawakian who will be looking after East Malaysian affairs. (There are names of candidates but this columnist was instructed not to reveal it.)

2. Finance Ministry:

a. Tony Pua (DAP, Petaling Jaya Utara MP)

b. Rafizi Ramli (PKR, currently not a MP, will contest in the coming polls)

c. Nizar Jamaluddin (PAS, Bukit Gantang MP)

3. Education Ministry:

a. Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS, Kuala Selangor MP)

b. S Kulasegaran (DAP, Ipoh Barat MP)

c. Chong Eng (DAP, Bukit Mertajam MP)

4. Home Ministry:

a. Azmin Ali (PKR, Gombak MP)

b. Mahfuz Omar (PAS, Pokok Sena MP)

c. M Manogaran (DAP, Teluk Intan MP)

(Knowledge and expertise can also be gained by consulting PAS member Fauzi Shaari, retired from CID, Bukit Aman.)

5. Defence Ministry:

a. Dr Hatta Ramli (PAS, Kuala Krai MP)

b. Liew Chin Tong (DAP, Bukit Bendera MP)

c. Tian Chua (PKR, Batu MP)

(Knowledge and technical know-how can be gained from PAS member First Admiral (retired) Mohamad Imran Abd Hamid.)

6. Law Ministry:

a. Karpal Singh (DAP, Bukit Gelugor MP)

b. Gobind Singh (DAP, Puchong MP)

c. William Leong (PKR, Selayang MP)

d. R Sivarasa (PKR, Subang MP)

e. Hanipa Maidin (PAS, non-MP who acts for PAS on many legal matters)

7. Health Ministry:

a. Dr Lee Boon Chye (PKR, Gopeng MP)

b. Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP, Kepong MP)

c. Dr Siti Mariah Mahmood (PAS, Kota Raja MP)

d. Dr Michael Jeyakumar (PSM, Sg. Siput MP)

8. Transport Ministry:

a. Khalid Samad (PAS, Shah Alam MP)

b. Tan Kok Wai (DAP, Cheras MP)

c. Baru Bian (state assemblyman for Ba’Kelalan)

Baru Bian can look into improving transport into the interiors of Sarawak.

9. International Trade and Industry Ministry:

a. Khalid Ibrahim (PKR, state Assemblyman for Ijok, Selangor Menteri Besar)

b. Teresa Kok (DAP, Seputeh MP)

c. Husam Musa (PAS, state assemblyman for Salor)

10. Agriculture Ministry:

a. Salahuddin Ayub (PAS, Kubang Kerian MP but this time will be leaving Kelantan to contest in Johor)

b. Ng Suee Lim (DAP, state assemblyman for Sekinchan, he champions the padi farmers)

(For Felda matters, Mazlan Aliman of PAS is at the forefront in fighting for the rights of the settlers and highlighting Felda issues.)

11. Foreign Ministry:

a. Kamarudin Jaffar (PAS, Tumpat MP)

b. Lim Guan Eng (DAP, state assemblyman for Ayer Puteh, Penang Chief Minister)

c. Elizabeth Wong (PKR, state assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan)

12. Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry:

a. Lim Lip Eng (DAP, Segambut MP)

b. Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR, Lembah Pantai MP)

13. Environment Ministry:

a. Fuziah Salleh (PKR, Kuantan MP)

b. Che Rosli Che Mat (PAS, Hulu Langat MP)

c. Nga Kor Ming (DAP, Taiping MP)

14. Women Ministry:

a. Zuraida Kamaruddin (PKR, Ampang MP)

b. Fong Po Kuan (DAP, Batu Gajah MP)

c. Siti Zailah Mohd Yusof (PAS, Rantau Panjang MP)

Currently, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is in charge of this ministry. Is there no capable woman in BN who can take over this post from Sharizat Abdul Jalil who stepped down on April 8?

15. Race Relations and Inter-Faith Dialogue Ministry:

a. Nik Aziz Nik Mat (PAS, state assemblyman for Chempaka, Kelantan menteri besar)

b. Mujahid Yusof Rawa (PAS, Parit Buntar MP)

c. Mohd Nur Manuty, (PKR, at the moment not an MP)

d. Ngeh Koo Ham (DAP, Beruas MP)

e. V Sivakumar (DAP, state assemblyman for Tronoh)

The Ministry for Race Relations and Inter-Faith Dialogue will be a place for discussions on thorny issues so that solutions can be sought without acrimony.

Art of corrupt practices

The BN leaders have always harped on the fact that BN has a great record in governing for over half a century and has urged and coerced voters to stick to BN, stressing that the nation will be in great peril and is certain to plunge into the abyss of destruction if the rakyat chooses Pakatan.

“It is true that Pakatan has no experience in governing at the federal level while BN has much experience. But then it is also true that BN’s vast experience in governing at the federal level is just as great as their skills in the art of appropriating funds for themselves and their cronies: in short, the art of corrupt practices wherein they channel funds into their own pockets,” commented PAS Kuala Selangor MP, Dzulkefly Ahmad.

On the other hand, Penang and Selangor are well-managed financially and economically.

Penang’s debt to the federal goverment has been reduced from RM630 million to only RM30 million while Selangor has recorded the highest sum in reserves, amounting to RM1.9 billion for last year.

Kedah is still better managed than during its years under BN while Kelantan is doing fine, considering the fact that it has been denied oil royalty payments by the federal government ever since PAS took over the state in 1990.

The Kelantanese have money in their pockets and the hypermarkets there are doing a thriving business although BN leaders have a fondness for portraying Kelantan as being in constant doldrums.

Even the Pakatan state government which was in charge for 10 months in Perak has managed to save money and has given many freehold titles to Perakians during its extremely short tenure.

When BN grabbed Perak through illegal and undemocratic means, it continued Pakatan’s policies and good ideas by claiming Pakatan’s ideas and policies as its own.

If Pakatan wins the 13th general election, it has got its work cut out to clean up more than half a century of dirt and filth in all sectors.

The time is short and the task is Herculean before Malaysia suffers a Greek tragedy. We have to start educating our family members, relatives and friends on the dire situation Malaysia is in.

Selena Tay is a FMT columnist.