Go for a smaller Cabinet minus deadwood, PM told

 

The previous Cabinet appointed by Muhyiddin Yassin comprised 32 ministers and 38 deputy ministers. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob must avoid establishing a large Cabinet with too much “deadwood” from the previous government, say political analysts.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs and Ahmad Fauzi Hamid of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) said a smaller Cabinet would be vital in inspiring confidence in the government.

The previous Cabinet under the Muhyiddin Yassin administration comprised 32 ministers and 38 deputy ministers. Ismail, who took office as prime minister yesterday, is expected to announce his Cabinet soon.

Oh said he hoped new ministers would be appointed for the health, home affairs, and international trade and industry portfolios.

“The previous ministers were seen by many as being either incompetent, ineffective or not neutral,” he said.

Retaining the old faces from the previous Cabinet would indicate a continuation of the ineffective policies of the former Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government in fighting the pandemic and reviving the economy.

Fauzi said a smaller Cabinet was important if Ismail wanted to start his tenure on the right foot and show he is listening to the people.

“Muhyiddin’s Cabinet was not only bloated but also ineffective,” he said, adding this and other issues including perceived double standards and an out-of-touch administration had proven to be costly for the previous government.

He said he believed the country could use a new home minister and new ministers in charge of education and higher education, too.

Fauzi added, however, that some ministers should be retained, specifically naming vaccine coordination minister Khairy Jamaluddin, economic affairs minister Mustapa Mohamed and transport minister Wee Ka Siong.

He said Ismail, as an Umno leader, would need to prove that the party was not short of talent for governance at the highest levels if it aspired to rule the country for a long time.

“It’s especially important to put forth young leaders in their 30s or 40s, to dispel the notion that Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno is a party of has-beens,” he said. - FMT