Several media reports yesterday claimed that a cabinet reshuffle is imminent and could be announced as soon as within a week.
The two similar reports by Chinese-language newspapers Oriental Daily and Sinchew Daily both claimed that if such a reshuffle were to take place, former International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed (photo, above) would “almost certainly” join the cabinet.
Oriental Daily reported that this would be to add an experienced politician to the cabinet line-up.
Mustapa held his last cabinet post from 2009 until 2018 under then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s cabinet. The Jeli MP has since joined Bersatu after the 14th general election.
According to Oriental Daily, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had already discussed the impending reshuffle with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and would hold a meeting with other Pakatan Harapan leaders soon.
Sinchew Daily, however, said Mahathir had informed ministers about the upcoming reshuffle during yesterday’s cabinet meeting and had already met with Pakatan Harapan leaders to discuss the matter last night.
Both reports claimed that there would little changes for ethnic Chinese ministers in the cabinet.
In addition, they claimed Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is expected to retain her post as deputy prime minister since there is still no timeline for Mahathir’s power transition with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Wan Azizah’s spouse. – M’kini
Ministers to ‘change portfolios’
PETALING JAYA: The first reshuffle of the Pakatan Harapan Cabinet is due anytime and a few ministers will be changing their portfolios.
Sources said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced this during the Cabinet meeting yesterday.
“The announcement of a reshuffle was minuted in the Cabinet meeting and the Cabinet was informed that there will be changes,” a source told The Star.
“The announcement of a reshuffle was minuted in the Cabinet meeting and the Cabinet was informed that there will be changes,” a source told The Star.
“He (Dr Mahathir) also stated that he would be meeting the party chiefs in the evening.”
The source added that this was the first time the Prime Minister had openly said in a Cabinet meeting that he would be shuffling portfolios of existing ministers and that the reshuffle was imminent.
Another source, however, said Dr Mahathir had merely said that he would be “reorganising portfolios”.
The source believed that there would not be any changes in the line-up of ministers.
“Same ministers and ministries, but the portfolios of the ministries will be reorganised. I think that’s what the PM meant,” said the second source who was present at the Cabinet meeting.
Yesterday evening, Dr Mahathir also met up with the top leaders of three Pakatan Harapan parties and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
“He wanted to meet the four people who headed the parties when Pakatan formed the Federal Government in 2018.
“This was why Dr Wan Azizah, who was then the PKR president, joined the meeting. It was merely a meeting for the Prime Minister to urge us to be more efficient amid the many things that the government is handling,” said another source.
There has long been talk of a Cabinet reshuffle, with some ministers getting flak for not performing up to the expectations of the public.
Dr Mahathir, however, has repeatedly said there would be no such thing.
On May 5, at a function to commemorate the first anniversary of Pakatan’s GE14 victory, Dr Mahathir gave his Cabinet a score of “five out of 10” but insisted that the ministers are “learning fast”.
The last time Dr Mahathir had denied that there would be a Cabinet reshuffle was on July 19 following a viral photograph of the full Cabinet taken before a meeting in Putrajaya. – THE STAR
MKINI / THE STAR
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