Pakatan Harapan youth leaders have submitted a petition to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, urging them to give a cabinet position to coalition and PKR youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
As many as 96 youth leaders from the four Harapan parties – including 12 from Bersatu – had reportedly signed the petition.
Two signatories confirmed the legitimacy of the petition with Malaysiakini, saying it was launched three weeks ago.
“Nik Nazmi, as Harapan Youth chief, should be appointed as youth and sports minister or any minsiter deemed suitable to ensure the agenda of youths are prioritised in the Harapan government,” an excerpt from the petition read.
The petition cited the Setiawangsa MP’s prior experience as an exco member and a deputy speaker in Selangor as part of his credentials.
‘Syed Saddiq a lone ranger’
Sources Malaysiakini spoke to, however, said the petition was also meant to ensure that Bersatu youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was not the only Harapan youth leader in the cabinet.
“Nik Nazmi is working hard to push Harapan youth forward, everybody thinks he is suitable to be a minister.
“However, Syed Saddiq is a lone ranger who seldom participates in the four-party meetings. Even some Bersatu youth leaders don’t want Syed Saddiq to be a minister,” a source said.
Another source concurred, saying that Syed Saddiq was “busy and seldom responded to Harapan matters.”
The source claimed that Nik Nazmi may not even be appointed as a deputy minister.
Syed Saddiq is widely expected to be Mahathir’s pick for the youth and sports ministry position.
When contacted, the Muar MP said he respected Harapan youth’s right to sign the petition, and would ensure that there would be no retaliation from his side or his supporters.
However, he denied being absent from Harapan youth meetings, saying that the secretariat records would show otherwise.
“You can also check with the Harapan presidential council on my attendance as the sole youth representative among all of the Harapan component parties, who has actively championed for more youth representatives in the presidential council, and subsequently to field more youth candidates.
“I was the only representative nominated by the political parties.
“I lobbied hard until the presidential council acknowledged the need to provide one additional quota for the Harapan youth chief,” he told Malaysiakini. – MKINI
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER BY MENGKIBOL STATE ASSEMBLYMAN CHEW CHONG SIN
According to the media reports, Prime Minister TUN Dr. Mahathir confirmed that he has nailed the full cabinet lineup down. The media reports have also pointed out that DAP Liew Chin Tong is not within the cabinet lineup and he may only become a deputy minister as a result. By the way, a deputy minister is not a member of cabinet and not within the core of national decision-making.
Except by recommended by various political parties under Pakatan Harapan, according to the Federal Constitution, the selection of a minister is the prerogative of PM; I believe, if PM didn’t appoint Liew Chin Tong as a minister and a member of cabinet, which is the core of national decision-making, his decision will be deemed as a failure while forming the first Pakatan Harapan cabinet.
If Liew Chin Tong has successfully won in this GE14, there is no doubt that he will be appointed as a minister, but due to the decision he made to fight for the toughest parliament seat in Ayer Hitam, which has the lowest odds ratios, and defeated with slim majority, he was unable to be directly appointed as a minister with the identity as a member of Parliament, and this has caused the strange situation today that have never seen before.
A cabinet is the core of national decision-making and it is the state organ where various political parties’ elites under Pakatan Harapan having their discussion and decisions regarding the national affairs.
The state organ must select professional according to their merits, either General Election or direct appointment of elite is a method of selection, such as the appointment of attorney-general and the Gavenor of Bank Negara, and there is no lack of precedent where an elite who even didn’t stand for election had been appointed as a minister.
Liew Chin Tong has created a significant effect by implementing his critical strategy planning in this GE14 and all of these have promoted the change of government. Besides, now is the time which can be deemed as “Secondary Founding of Country” and urgent call for outstanding talents, the use of talents should be the consideration and PM should not decide the member of cabinet solely based on who has won the parliament seat.
I object by using who has won the parliament seat as the only standard to select the member of cabinet since this will result in no candidate will willing to take the lead to fight in low odds ratio’ electoral constituency again.
PM must take a boarder and longer-term view, the recognising of talent should be the sole criterion in selecting the most suitable candidatet for the Nation, and the selection of cabinet minister solely based on who has won the parliament seat is absolutely a wrong method.
CHEW CHONG SIN 周忠信
ADUN Mengkibol 明吉摩州议员
Pejabat ADUN Mengkibol
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