KUALA LUMPUR – The composition of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet reflects an adequate representation of the major political blocs that make up his unity administration, political analysts say.
However, the biggest winner in the line-up seems to be Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, where many of his close allies within the party were given crucial ministries to govern as either full ministers or deputy ministers.
In Friday’s announcement, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan was named deputy finance minister alongside Steven Sim of DAP.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah was also named deputy home minister, another senior government position.
Speaking to The Vibes, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research, Azmi Hassan said this move was necessary to strengthen Zahid’s position within the party, as Umno is expected to hold its internal party polls within the next few months.
By placating Zahid’s allies, Anwar is also looking to quell potential discontent within Umno that could unravel the stability of his government, said Azmi.
“If you add up Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan who is defence minister, Ahmad Maslan as deputy finance minister, and Shamsul Anuar as deputy home minister, it is obvious that Anwar meant to strengthen the Umno president’s position within the party, because they are expected to hold their party polls soon,” he said.
Azmi explained that Zahid is under intense scrutiny from his party members, including senior leaders, for opting to support Pakatan Harapan (PH) instead of Perikatan Nasional (PN).
This is evident after the Umno Supreme Council recently decided on axeing Ketereh Umno division chief Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Arau Wanita Umno division chief Datuk Seri Shamsiah Yasin, and her Maran counterpart Datin Seri Fatimah Kassim.
All three members were fired on the grounds that they had been “berating” the party.
For Universiti Sains Malaysia political science professor Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, he said that parties cannot be too particular with cabinet positions, as the current administration is a national unity government, and it was formed for the greater good of the nation.
However, he also agreed that Ahmad’s role within Umno, either to secure support or quell dissent, is crucial to the government.
“Like him or not, Ahmad’s role as a power broker in Umno cannot be dismissed. His inclusion in the cabinet was balanced by that of Steven Sim, the other deputy finance minister, who could offset Ahmad’s volatile temperament,” said Fauzi.
This is Ahmad’s second tenure as deputy finance minister. He was previously appointed to the position under then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Ahmad is often known for his ardent support of the Goods and Services Tax, a policy which many argued had led to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) historic defeat in 2018.
DAP the biggest loser?
Following the aftermath of the 15th general election, the unity government comprises MPs from PH (82), 30 from BN, 23 from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), six from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), three from Warisan, two from Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, and one from Parti Bangsa Malaysia, as well as a single independent MP.
Anwar’s current cabinet lineup consists of 28 ministers and 27 deputies.
In terms of party representation in the cabinet, PKR has the most, with 13 cabinet members, followed by BN (12), GPS (11), DAP (10), Amanah (4), GRS (2), and one from Warisan.
Out of BN’s 12 cabinet members, 11 are from Umno. The other BN cabinet member is Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah’s Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup.
Despite DAP winning over 40 seats, the second highest in the Dewan Rakyat after PAS, which has 49 seats, DAP still has a slightly smaller representation in the cabinet from Umno.
Another political observer, Mazlan Ali, of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, opined that while some might perceive that DAP was not given adequate representation, this was, however, relative to how PH had structured the agreements among its component parties.
“You must take into account that PH entered the election as a coalition, not party-based. Just based on the numbers, PH still has the highest representation,” he said.
Mazlan also explained that DAP is fully aware of the counter-narrative that could backfire on the government if the party is seen as dominant within the administration.
“They know that if they are seen as having a huge presence in the government, then critics could label this government as DAP-led. So, politically, they know it is prudent for them to play safe.
“Similarly, they understand that the government is formed with cooperation from BN. So, the need to give and take must be there for this government to succeed.” – The Vibes, December 11, 2022
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