KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg's new cabinet line-up which was unveiled on Thursday, is too big for a state with a population of 2.8 million.
Political analyst Professor James Chin from the University of Tasmania's Asia Institute said there were 14 ministries, led by 11 ministers, including the Chief Minister and 26 assistant ministers.
"If we look at the number of ministers and assistant ministers, they constitute about 48 per cent of the total 76 Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) assemblymen."
"It means that every GPS candidate who won in the 12th Sarawak election has a 50 per cent chance of being part of the state cabinet, whether as a minister or assistant minister.
"This is not good as the government is too big and it is basically a waste of resources. You (Abang Johari) are creating jobs (positions) unnecessarily," he told the New Straits Times.
As for the Chinese representation in the cabinet, Chin said Abang Johari's new cabinet line-up had yet to reflect a stronger Chinese representation.
"It (Chinese representation) has actually been diluted compared to the previous cabinet in terms of percentage," he said.
"Apart from the symbolic appointment of Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian as the deputy chief minister, there were no major changes or reflection of a stronger Chinese representation in the cabinet," he said.
However, Chin said, the Chinese community, especially SUPP supporters, were elated to have a Chinese deputy chief minister after more than a decade.
Sarawak's last Chinese deputy chief minister was former SUPP president Tan Sri George Chan, who served from 1996 to 2011.
"It is also a highly symbolic appointment for historical reasons as Sim's late father Tan Sri Sim Kheng Hong also served as the deputy chief minister from 1974 to 1991," he said.
The only SUPP new face or Chinese assemblyman being appointed was Pelawan assemblyman Michael Tiang, who is now the state's Assistant Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government.
Meanwhile, three other SUPP leaders reappointed to their respective previous positions were Sim as Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin as the Transport Minister as well as Datuk Sebastian Ting as the Assistant Ministers for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts.
Abang Johari will oversee several portfolios as the Finance and New Economy minister, Natural Resources and Urban Development minister as well as the Energy and Environmental Sustainability minister. - NST
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