Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin has clarified that the recently unveiled “portfolio committees” are not a shadow cabinet.
Instead, he said the committees were specialised to enable Perikatan Nasional to move as a strong team in performing checks and balances for the government involving each ministry.
“This portfolio is a group responsibility. The portfolio heads will be assisted by portfolio committee members consisting of other PN MPs.
“Many misinterpret these portfolio leaders as (being part of) a shadow cabinet – they are not,” Hamzah (above) said in a statement on Facebook today.
He further explained that these portfolio committees aim to enable the rakyat to see quality debates, criticisms and ideas from PN in Parliament starting with the latest parliamentary session which begins tomorrow.
The opposition leader said it will facilitate the team in moving as one in giving their views, reprimands as well as support for any good policies Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration puts forth.
The formation of these portfolio committees is to show that PN is ready as a credible, responsible, effective and authoritative opposition with high integrity while the new government’s struggle is the “implementation of their words”, he added.
While the new government has not been in power for 100 days yet, there are already many concerns being raised, Hamzah noted.
“One by one, weaknesses and administrative inefficiencies and abuses of power have appeared, causing uneasiness among the people,” he said.
Cost of living issue
The Larut MP said the government has yet to effectively address the rising cost of living even as the B40 group continues to grow.
Instead, Anwar is “obsessed with poetic and melancholic language”, he added.
“It’s true that such melancholic words are comforting to hear, but will it solve the rakyat’s problems?” he questioned.
Hamzah pointed out that the issue with egg supply has not yet been resolved and the price of chickens is still expensive.
Yet, he said, the response from Deputy Domestic Trade and Living Costs Minister Fuziah Salleh and Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli on these issues respectively was that “you can’t force chickens to lay eggs” and that people should “reduce their consumption of chickens”.
On Jan 16, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu said the importation of eggs from India is only temporary until local supplies stabilise.
A few days later on Jan 20, the Federation of Livestock Farmers’ Association of Malaysia gave its assurance that the supplies of poultry and eggs will return to normal from then on.
Shortly after on Jan 25, Rafizi said the government was developing a strategy to lessen Malaysia’s dependence on imports for raw food items including agricultural projects that come packaged with their value chain.
His ministry is working to develop an application which would enable consumers to compare the prices of goods in their area, he added.
Meanwhile, Hamzah said there is also the issue of nepotism which Anwar defended. Even Rafizi’s criticism of the matter was subdued, he added.
While he did not clarify what matter he was referring to, he is likely talking about Anwar appointing his daughter Nurul Izzah as his senior economics and financial adviser.
However, Nurul Izzah today announced she will no longer be serving in that role.
This is because she accepted an invitation to co-head a secretariat that will support an advisory committee to Anwar in his role as finance minister. - Mkini
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