PETALING JAYA: The Pakatan Harapan (PH) Cabinet never discussed sacking then energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin, says one of its former members.
Salahuddin Ayub, the former agriculture and agro-based industry minister said the matter was never even discussed by the PH Presidential Council.
This comes after DAP’s Liew Chin Tong claimed former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad wanted to sack Yeo over the Lynas issue.
During her tenure, Yeo had set new conditions for the renewal of the operating licence for the Lynas rare earth plant.
Liew had made the claim in his book titled “Lim Kit Siang: Patriot. Leader. Fighter”.
“At the Wednesday Cabinet meeting on Aug 21, 2019, Mahathir said he wanted to make a minor change to the Cabinet portfolios. The news leaked and we were anxious,” Liew said in the book.
Liew said DAP leaders Lim Guan Eng and Lim Kit Siang had managed to dissuade Mahathir.
Speaking to reporters after a visit to the Chow Kit market today, Salahuddin said the matter had never been formally discussed.
The Amanah deputy president also said Mahathir had never called any of his party’s ministers to be replaced.
“The power to sack or replace ministers lies with the prime minister. This never happened to our (Amanah) ministers.”
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, meanwhile, has confirmed Liew’s story.
Lim said he was aware of the matter although he was never involved in the discussions.
“This incident indicates the complexities of the PH government under Mahathir,” he said.
He pointed out that PH had to learn from the mistakes it made in its 22 months in Putrajaya. - FMT
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