Ismail’s dilemma – steady the ship or shake off ‘Kerajaan Gagal 2.0’ label

 

An analyst says Ismail Sabri Yaakob will have a tough time regaining the people’s confidence while steadying the ship, if he becomes the next prime minister. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: With Ismail Sabri Yaakob looking increasingly likely to become the ninth prime minister, an analyst says the Umno vice-president will have his work cut out in trying to regain the people’s confidence while steadying the ship.

Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said the new Cabinet will consist of substantially the same figures in Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, since MPs backing Ismail were the same ones who had backed Muhyiddin.

This has led to netizens and even Umno supporters criticising the move as merely a “change of driver” with the term “Kerajaan Gagal 2.0” being thrown around.

Oh told FMT it would be difficult for the new government to shake off the “Kerajaan Gagal 2.0” label unless Ismail downsized his Cabinet and made radical changes by bringing in new faces, even non-MPs.

But this would mean that he may have fewer posts to give those who back him, especially senior leaders of the various parties involved, which would no doubt be a tough balancing act.

“It would be nice to have a smaller Cabinet, because the previous one was quite bloated with ministers we had never heard of and didn’t know what they did.

“But then of course, he won’t have enough Cabinet posts to hand around, therefore the government will not be a stable one. Therein lies the dilemma for this new government,” Oh said.

He said the same went with posts in government-linked companies (GLCs), which Muhyiddin had awarded to most MPs who backed him when he was prime minister.

“If you don’t hand them around, MPs won’t support you, it’s as simple as that. You still see the same gravy train going around.

“So I don’t see this as a very stable government. If you want it to be stable, then you have to distribute a lot of posts. But by doing that, it will be like ‘Kerajaan Gagal’ again.”

Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said Ismail should be wise enough to gauge the public sentiment that led to Muhyiddin’s downfall, which calls for a different approach should he take over the position.

“He must show that his government is different from the previous Perikatan Nasional (PN) one where he was deputy prime minister and before that, senior minister.

“This will entail a smaller Cabinet, appointments of GLC posts based on competence and merit, and the formation of a unity Cabinet from diverse political persuasions,” he told FMT.

He said going beyond political lines in government appointments could reduce politicking and avoid any motions of no confidence which would distract from handling the health and economic crises.

“Despite being PN 2.0, its policy efforts must be conciliatory, at least until GE15, well aware that political support at the national level is divided almost equally between two major political blocs,” he said. - FMT