PETALING JAYA: Umno remains a key player in improving the economy through its ministers in the federal government, and need not have a finance minister portfolio to make a positive impact, says Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi.
He said Umno was very much involved in the economy through other ministries, especially through the rural and regional development ministry, a portfolio held by Umno president and Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said even the other Umno-led ministries had a direct link to the economy. The minister for investment, trade and industry (Tengku Zafrul Aziz) and the minister for plantation and commodities (Johari Ghani) are both from Umno.
Job opportunities and national revenue would increase if foreign investments went up (through efforts by the two ministries), he said. “Who knows, new plantation and commodities minister Johari could stabilise palm oil prices and fight the anti-oil palm campaign.”
“Hence, Umno will be respected more if its ministers and leaders of government-linked companies carried out their jobs effectively. It is not the finance minister post that is important, what is important is the performance of the minister in implementing policies,” he said in a Facebook post.
Earlier today, Umno Youth leader Wan Agyl Wan Hassan raised concerns that Umno might become less important if the party does not speak up on the economy, especially when it is no longer involved with the finance ministry.
The recent Cabinet reshuffle moved Ahmad Maslan of Umno from deputy finance minister to deputy works minister.
Wan Agyl is also concerned that Umno’s voice on the economy will be less heard now that Johari, a former second finance minister, is the new plantation and commodities minister. - FMT
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