PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has slammed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s new Cabinet line-up, describing it as the “most disappointing in the nation’s history”.
Muhyiddin said that by appointing kleptocrats into the Cabinet, Anwar has sacrificed the principles of good governance which he promoted during the general election (GE15) campaign.
“His reform agenda rings hollow when he could not even stand up in defence of his own party’s struggle to fight against corruption and promote good governance.
“His value as a true leader worthy of respect and dignity is now highly questionable,” Muhyiddin said in a statement.
He was referring to the appointment of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as one of two deputy prime ministers in Anwar’s unity government. Zahid has also been appointed rural and regional development minister.
Zahid has been charged with 47 counts of corruption, criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.
The Bersatu president also criticised Anwar for taking on the finance minister portfolio, adding that this will erode the people’s as well as investors’ trust in his leadership.
“Our nation’s system is broken when morally and principally ‘bankrupt’ individuals as well as those involved in corruption may be appointed into the Cabinet,” he said.
Yesterday, Bersih said it was “disappointed” that Anwar had taken on the post of finance minister, and criticised the appointment of Zahid as deputy prime minister.
Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said Anwar had reverted to a “bad practice” started by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, continued by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and “grossly abused” by Najib Razak, in holding the two important posts.
In its 2018 general election (GE14) manifesto, Pakatan Harapan (PH) had pledged that the prime minister would not hold another ministerial portfolio simultaneously.
As a result, Mahathir did not take any portfolio when he was prime minister in the former PH government.
His successors, Muhyiddin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob, also maintained the policy on just being prime minister without any other portfolio. - FMT
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