The new cabinet? Let’s save the most “delicious” dish, the Big Z, for dessert.
First, I want to celebrate the fact that younger Pakatan Harapan leaders such as Hannah Yeoh, Rafizi Ramli, Fahmi Fadzil, and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad are now ministers! Isn’t it great to see such a renewal?
Here are my reactions to the new ministers:
Rafizi Ramli
He can shine as the de facto Economy Minister with his many forward-thinking ideas. Just check “The Ayuh Malaysia Show” on YouTube and see how intelligently he talks about issues such as industrial rejuvenation, food security, solar energy, and the cost of living.
I only wonder why he was not made finance minister instead? Or would that have been too much of a challenge to his boss, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim?
Hannah Yeoh
I look forward to her creative solutions to many youth problems such as basikal lajak, Mat Rempit, youth delinquency, teenage pregnancies, etc in her new role as youth and sports minister.
These are tough social problems to tackle but I believe she has the heart, tenacity, and intelligence to help the next generation.
She will be able to build on her previous work as deputy women, family, and community development minister (2018-2020).
However, sports is a different problem, given the politics involved. For example, (ex-Umno) Perlis warlord Shahidan Kassim leads the associations in charge of athletics and swimming.
Fahmi Fadzil
A great choice as communications minister. Perhaps even better than former minister Gobind Singh, who could not deal with the vicious racial propaganda that sank the first Harapan government.
In contrast, Fahmi is taking the battle to the social poisoners of Perikatan Nasional. For example, take his recent challenge for PAS to lodge a police report over claims that DAP is Islamophobic.
I first knew of Fahmi as a dramatist from watching his stage plays. As suggested in my previous column, the new government can blend the arts with positive social messaging.
So, for example, the Communications Ministry can hold contests for the best TikTok or YouTube videos that promote anti-corruption and racial harmony.
Lim Guan Eng
Lim was a lightning rod for propaganda claiming that Harapan is “Chinese controlled” and a “threat” to the Malays. His occasionally abrasive style did not help matters.
With him staying out of this cabinet, there is one less obvious target for the relentless racial attacks from PN - Poison Nasional.
Lim has had a good run as Penang's chief minister and finance minister. By letting younger DAP leaders become ministers, it also proves that DAP is walking the talk about leadership renewal.
Mohamad Sabu
The Amanah president admitted that he felt “kaku” or out of place as defence minister previously. He has the easy-going, folksy touch which has enabled him to be an effective ceramah speaker for over three decades.
As agriculture minister, he can connect to the kampung people and boost support for Harapan in this crucial demographic.
DAP takes a back seat?
A friend asked, why does DAP have only four ministers while PKR has eight? It seems unfair when DAP won 40 seats while PKR won only 31. Did Anwar shortchange the largest Harapan party?
Or is it a conscious decision by Harapan to deflect the accusation that the new government is a “puppet” of the “Chinese DAP”?
As party veteran Teng Chang Khim suggested, DAP should take a “back seat” and “provide a solution” to such attacks as a "service" to the nation. If this is what happened, it is indeed noble of DAP not to demand more ministerial posts.
Fair representation?
Different races are represented in the cabinet. There are five Chinese out of 28 ministers, or 18 percent, which is below the population ratio of 23 percent. But this helps neutralise the “Chinese control of government” narrative.
Sadly, there is only one Indian minister. This should be redressed in other ways, especially via effective government programmes to help the community.
East Malaysia is well represented with seven ministers, a quarter of the cabinet. However, there are only five women ministers (18 percent), something that needs to be improved upon.
Other PKR ministers
Nik Nazmi should have been the youth minister when Harapan first won in 2018 but Dr Mahathir Mohamad chose his blue-eyed boy Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman instead.
I was impressed when I heard him talk at a forum to save Bukit Dinding, Kuala Lumpur and I believe Nik Nazmi will now make a good environment minister.
It’s strange that Anwar chose Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was defeated in the general election, to be the home minister. But perhaps he needs somebody to balance Rafizi’s team inside PKR. Saifuddin’s main challenge will be to clean up the police force. Can he revive the IPCMC?
I don’t know much about Dr Zaliha Mustafa (the new health minister) or Fadhlina Sidek (the new education minister). But as a general principle, it is good to have new female faces. We hope they will perform even better than the men who have held the two positions before.
Carping and complaining
As usual, humans like to zoom in on the negative. But maybe some are forgetting that this is not a Harapan cabinet. Instead, it is a Harapan-Umno-GPS-GRS cabinet. So, like it or not, unpleasant compromises had to be made.
Many people had complaints about the high number (six) of Umno ministers. Sadly, this seems to be the pound of flesh demanded by Umno in helping Harapan form the government.
The alternative is a nightmare. Not only was Muhyiddin Yassin in charge of #KerajaanGagal, but there are also now questions about how his team spent RM500 billion during the emergency he declared. If there are any misdeeds, it will be a scandal far bigger than 1MDB.
As for PAS, it’s not just a question of creeping Talibanisation. These snake-like religious politicians twist and turn their words to suit changing political winds and Umno’s Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has even called them “political prostitutes”.
Why appoint “losers” (who failed to get elected as MPs) like Tengku Zafrul Aziz? Would we prefer “winners” like Ahmad Maslan instead?
As a former banker, Zafrul is at least reasonably competent. And heck, maybe he can also personally change the oil in my motorbike - like he did while campaigning in Kuala Selangor!
The Big Z
Well, I had to save the best for last. Of course, it is disappointing that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been appointed as deputy prime minister. Perhaps there is also a secret “deal” regarding his corruption court case?
I would have preferred Bersih chairperson Thomas Fann's stance – no ministerial posts for those facing court cases to signal zero tolerance for corruption.
Some “realists” believe this is a distasteful but painfully necessary step for Umno to support the government. Or is it? What if Anwar had called Zahid’s bluff and appointed Mohamad Hasan as DPM instead? Would Umno really have left Harapan and embraced Bersatu, its mortal enemy, for future Malay votes?
Well, the cake has been baked (until the next Umno party elections which Zahid may lose). If this is the price for Umno’s cooperation, better to let one Zahid go, so that Anwar can be prime minister, to stop 500 Zahids in the next five years.
Maybe we are forced to close one eye on (some) past misdeeds, but please, let’s ensure both eyes are wide open to ensure a clean future. - Mkini
ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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