Commentary: This new Malaysian Cabinet looks a lot like the old one
SINGAPORE: Insofar as authoritative resets and political relaunches get, yesterday'due south swearing-in of Malaysia's new Cabinet felt similar the Friends Reunion Special— a gathering of familiar faces linked by a series of complicated backstories.
Indeed, co-ordinate to one pundit'southward calculation, the composition of prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's cabinet was 87 per cent, the same as his predecessor's. The new crop of policymakers comprises 31 ministers and 38 deputy ministers — the aforementioned as its forerunner.
This expansive selection illustrates the challenges inherent in maintaining a veneer of unity across the ruling coalition'due south four blocs as well as within them. Its 2 alpha males, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) are themselves divided into three fractious factions each.
VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL UPPER ECHELONS
Aside from the prime government minister, the upper echelons of the incoming Cabinet are virtually identical to their predecessors.
As with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration for nearly of its existence, in that location is no deputy prime minister. This sidesteps offending either UMNO or Bersatu — both of whom badly want the position — and precludes precocious deputies with sick intentions.
Ismail Sabri also kept former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin'due south senior ministerial positions and power-sharing formula — Bersatu with ii (Azmin Ali in International Trade and Industry and Radzi Jidin in Education), UMNO with one (Hishammuddin Hussein in defence), and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) with one (Fadillah Yusof in works).
Along with Azmin, the other members of the economic team are identical. The old banker Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz remains in finance, and Bersatu stalwart Mustapa Mohamad stays as minister for the economy.
While this provides continuity in the run-upwardly to the Budget in October and the much-awaited 12th Malaysia Programme, this team also drew much criticism for its overly cautious arroyo to combatting the COVID-19 induced economic downturn.
Other vestiges of Muhyiddin's intricate coalition-building formula are visible everywhere. Bersatu party supremo Hamzah Zainuddin remains at the helm of domicile affairs, as does Noraini Ahmad (UMNO) for higher education and Ronald Kiandee (Bersatu) for agriculture and food industries. The Barisan Nasional component members, the Malaysian Chinese Association, and the Malaysian Indian Congress retain transport (Wee Ka Siong) and man resource (K Saravanan), respectively.
The only engagement that generated buzz was the movement of Khairy Jamaluddin (UMNO) from science, engineering and innovation to health.
Khairy, one of that political party'south most popular members, won kudos for stepping beyond the telescopic of his previous ministry to take accuse of Malaysia's vaccination programme. Despite a ho-hum start, the pace of inoculations has dramatically picked up — with one to 2 per cent of the population now vaccinated every day.
POSITIVE RESHUFFLE OUTCOME FOR UMNO
In add-on to securing the prime minister position, UMNO did better out of the recent reshuffle largely at Bersatu'south expense, increasing its number of ministers from 9 to 11 and deputy ministers from 8 to 10. Thus, its Members of Parliament (MPs) now captain the ministries of rural Evolution, housing and local government, and communication and media.
The beginning ii command large budgets, have substantial staff numbers and are useful for nurturing the grassroots. The third is primal for controlling Malaysia's media landscape — which for all the buzz effectually Facebook and Instagram — is nevertheless shaped past traditional outlets such as print and boob tube
Listen to political observers discuss the new Malaysia prime number government minister and what information technology ways for UMNO and the country:
In return, Bersatu was offered the prestigious merely outwardly focused foreign affairs and the smaller plantation and bolt portfolios.
GPS, the other crucial coalition component, retained its cabinet allocation of four ministries.
The final coalition member is the low-key but cohesive Islamist political party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS). While its MPs nevertheless head just three ministries, it has now secured the religious affairs portfolio. Although this ministry comes under the Prime Government minister's Department, this is the start time PAS has held this uber-sensitive position.
LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR A POLITICAL RESET?
With Ismail Sabri's A-squad named, UMNO's long-standing gripes that the previous PN administration was unsatisfactory practice non hold water anymore. The cardinal actors in that administration'southward COVID-nineteen combat force were all UMNO members: Khairy Jamaluddin, Adham Baba, and Ismail Sabri himself. All 3 remain equally anchors of the new cabinet.
Moreover, even by Malaysia's rather staid standards, Ismail Sabri seems determined to set new benchmarks. He retained the nether-performing Rina Harun (Bersatu) in women, family, and community development and the much-maligned Adham Baba (UMNO) was shifted from Wellness to Scientific discipline, Technology, and Innovation.
Conversely, more reformist and pop figures such as erstwhile deputy speaker Azalina Othman, UMNO deputy president Mohamad Hasan, and UMNO vice-president Khaled Nordin were conspicuously omitted.
In keeping the baby, the bathwater, and the chimera bath, Ismail Sabri has lost an opportunity for a political reset.
His focus on shoring up his fragile coalition has ensured continuity simply sacrificed its honeymoon period. As a result, instead of beginning anew from today, this assistants will be lumped together with its predecessor – and judged accordingly.
This now leaves Ismail Sabri's Chiffonier in much demand of some mojo. The incoming police force minister Wan Junaidi has stated that his priorities include reforming Parliament, introducing term limits for prime ministers, and revisiting relations with East Malaysia.
If the members of the new Cabinet do not generate some buzz, they may need to at to the lowest degree talk nigh inspiring ideas.
Francis E Hutchinson is a Senior Fellow and coordinator of the Malaysia Studies Program at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. This commentary was first published on ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Establish'due south Fulcrum.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/malaysia-cabinet-umno-ismail-sabri-khairy-muhyiddin-293846
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