KUALA LUMPUR – Five days have passed since the announcement of the new 28-member cabinet and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s ministerial appointments continue to draw positive and negative reactions.
The prime minister’s decision to hold the finance portfolio and appoint Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister has triggered debate as the latter is facing corruption charges in court, and some quarters think it is improper for the prime minister to assume the finance minister’s role.
Commenting on this, political analyst Azmi Hassan said it is not fair to question Anwar’s moves given the circumstances of the cabinet’s formation.
“The (prevailing) situation requires Anwar to take into account the support of not only PH (Pakatan Harapan) component parties but also other partners (in the PH-led unity government) even though he has the right to appoint anyone he deems fit,” Azmi said.
According to him, Anwar had to examine several factors related to the cabinet appointments and “it was important for him to allocate the portfolios accordingly, considering that it’s an important basis of the cooperation among the various parties in ensuring political stability”.
Azmi, who is also a geostrategist and senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, said all parties must accept the reality of the nation’s administrative situation and stop complaining, as the formation of the unity government is also in line with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah’s aspirations.
He added that the country may still have been in political turmoil if the unity government was not formed.
“I’m sure the people will appreciate this government as soon as the ministers start discharging their duties,” he said.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia constitutional expert Muhammad Fathi Yusof said although there is no category for a unity government in the federal constitution, its formation is legal as long as the prime minister has the support of the majority of the MPs.
“In the constitution, the formation of a government is based on (which party or coalition gets) the majority support of the Dewan Rakyat.
“A government can be rebranded should the need arise… in the context of political science, this (unity) government falls within the multiple-coalition government category,” he said.
He said by right, a unity government is formed when all the political coalitions in a nation come together to run the government without an opposition bloc.
“However, a unity government in our country refers to a government that can forge unity among the people and various races, as this is what our king wants,” he said.
Commenting on criticisms of the new cabinet, Fathi said the appointments should not be linked to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as Article 40 of the federal constitution clearly states that the king gives his consent based on the advice of the prime minister.
“According to Article 40, the prime minister has the power to appoint ministers. If there’s any dispute over any appointment, no one should associate it with the king,” he said.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Human Ecology senior lecturer Mohd Izani Mohd Zain said people must understand that the nation’s political landscape has changed, and they should be more open-minded and accept the new cabinet.
“This is not the time to question the formation of the unity government’s cabinet,” he said, adding that it is time for PH and BN to find common ground for their administration to function well.
“Due to the dynamic nature of our nation’s politics, we cannot afford to be too stereotyped. In fact, Anwar is seen to have done well by appointing the ministers based on the recommendations submitted by the parties (in the unity government).
“The appointments were also based on party hierarchy, a move that made the selection of cabinet members more stable,” he said.
Izani said he believes it will not be easy to topple the current government as the prime minister has made it clear that he will closely adhere to constitutional principles.
“It’s obvious he doesn’t want the people to have any doubt about the cabinet and lose their trust in the government,” he added. – Bernama, December 7, 2022
