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Malaysian PM whips up surprises
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| Joceline Tan |
Wed, Mar 19, 2008
The Star
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>The new Malaysian Cabinet shows that the Prime Minister is listening and responding to the new political landscape.
IT has been a long week for the Prime Minister since the devastating results of the general election.
A major preoccupation of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had been the formation of his new Cabinet.
He spent time working on the line-up and by the time he stood before a packed press conference yesterday, he was pretty confident that the line-up would be well-received.
And it is generally well-received, both for the new faces he brought in as well as the old hands that he let go of.
In fact, as one Putrajaya official noted, the missing faces, especially the controversial ones, seemed to elicit more excitement than the debutantes. And that is a fact of life when people overstay in politics.
Abdullah's new Cabinet suggests he is prepared to make some tough decisions to face a changed political landscape.
His last Cabinet had been a disappointment because some of the old faces from the Mahathir era were so out of sync with changes in society and their political baggage also dragged him down.
It is quite a radical infusion of new blood this time and that will hopefully bring new energy in the coalition.
Abdullah has heard the rumblings on the ground loud and clear. He kept his word about not including those who had lost in the polls and brought in MPs from Sarawak and Sabah, which delivered well in the polls.
More important, he included independent voices to counter allegations that he is surrounded by "yes" men.
This was evident in the appointment of Zaid Ibrahim as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. The successful lawyer, who has sometimes been too independent-minded for Umno's comfort, will oversee the Government's efforts at judicial reform.
The uproar over the Lingam video tape shows the extent of public anger and concern over the state of the judiciary and Zaid's appointment shows Abdullah's sincerity in tackling the issue.
The inclusion of 'new-old' face Shahrir Samad is another recognition for those who dare to speak the truth in the face of power.
'People like Shahrir and Zaid are not the most popular characters in Umno but they are well-received outside the party. People like them help prevent Umno from going off on a trajectory of its own, alienated from public opinion,' said a Malay professional.
The Indian grievances were noted in the appointment of S. Subramaniam as Human Resources Minister to facilitate labour relations in the unions and plantations. Deputy Federal Territories Minister M. Saravanan is expected to play a role in tackling rural-urban migration problems among Indians.
Bera MP Ismail Sabri made the most spectacular jump among the new faces when he shot out of the blue to become Youth and Sports Minister.
Two Terengganu politicians also made big leaps. Shabery Cheek was promoted from parliamentary secretary to Information Minister while the Prime Minister's political secretary Wan Farid Wan Salleh was made Deputy Internal Security and Home Affairs Minister.
The high casualty rate suffered by Gerakan and MCA in the polls has resulted in the greatest infusion of new blood and upward mobility.
For instance, Tanjong Malim MP Ong Ka Chuan went from Perak state exco to Housing and Local Government Minister while several other 'outsiders' became deputy ministers.
Abdullah also moved in to check geographical imbalances. Selangor, which had only one minister, now has three including Muhammad Muhammad Taib. His appointment is bound to cause ripples but he is needed as a stabilising force, especially in Selangor which the Barisan lost.
Perhaps the most explosive exclusion of all is that of Iron Lady Rafidah Aziz. It must have been difficult for the Prime Minister to drop her because she is after all the Wanita Umno chief and an internationally-known figure. But she has been rather too controversial and her problem also is that she is not well-received among the men in Umno.
A contentious old face who survived is Nazri Aziz, whose outbursts over a variety of issues earned protest votes against the Barisan in the Klang Valley during the elections. Sources said the Prime Minister needs fighters like him in Parliament. If that is so, he might be playing a more useful role on the backbench.
A large number of people had actually believed Abdullah would include his controversial son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin in the line-up. Aides said the Prime Minister had no intention of doing that even before the election's outcome, and that Khairy, now Rembau MP, is more suitable in the trenches as a backbencher.
Many are also asking why Najib Tun Razak is still handling the defence portfolio which he has held for some 15 years.
Some had asked Abdullah to have a highly credible Cabinet line-up that he could use as the proverbial silver bullet to silence critics and the Opposition. It is not quite the anticipated silver bullet but it is a commendable team with some steady and experienced hands in key portfolios and new faces being groomed and tested.
The team now has to rise to the occasion and carry out Abdullah's reform agenda amid very challenging political times.
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