Syerleena accuses PAS of fear-mongering over Cabinet reshuffle

The Bukit Bendera MP urges Malaysians to distinguish between genuine governance concerns and political theatrics.

Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid said a Cabinet reshuffle only appears threatening to those whose politics depend on exclusion, control, and fear of sharing power. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid has accused PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan of deliberately creating a climate of fear for political gain following the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Takiyuddin yesterday claimed that the appointment of two Chinese leaders to the federal territories portfolio was a deliberate strategy to strengthen DAP’s dominance in Kuala Lumpur and other major urban centres in the country.

In a statement, Syerleena today questioned the motives behind Takiyuddin’s alarm over the reshuffle, and urged Malaysians to distinguish between genuine governance concerns and political theatrics.

She said that a Cabinet reshuffle only appears threatening to those whose politics depend on exclusion, control, and fear of sharing power.

“There is nothing extraordinary or alarming about a Cabinet reshuffle. It only becomes a ‘crisis’ when it is deliberately misrepresented as one,” she said, stressing that routine recalibration of the Cabinet is a normal part of any functioning parliamentary system to improve coordination, performance and delivery.

According to the DAP lawmaker, PAS’s narrative – that cooperation equals centralisation, inclusion threatens power, and working together undermines identity – was an attempt to shrink democratic space by turning collaboration into a scare tactic.

“As a Muslim, I state without hesitation: Islam does not teach us to govern through panic and suspicion. It teaches us about trust, justice, and accountability.

“It teaches leaders to be judged by competence and integrity – not by how loudly they shout warnings of imagined takeovers.

“If PAS truly wishes to speak in the language of faith, then it should explain how fear-mongering serves justice, or how distrust strengthens the ummah.”

Tuesday’s Cabinet reshuffle saw Hannah Yeoh appointed as federal territories minister and Tawau MP Lo Su Fui (GRS) as her deputy. DAP deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming was retained as the housing and local government minister.

Takiyuddin alleged that concentrating urban power in the hands of leaders from the same ethnicity and political party could raise questions about an imbalance of power and the direction of the nation’s administration.

He also said the move could allow DAP to shape urban policies, manage land and housing matters without effective and transparent checks and balances, and push through controversial initiatives such as the proposed Urban Renewal Act and local elections. - Mkini