No Cabinet posts for opposition, says PM Ismail

ALOR SETAR • Malaysia's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said opposition leaders would not be appointed to his new Cabinet and that he would announce its members later this week, after he has the King's consent.

"I have to present (the list) to the King first. Only after the King has consented to it then I'll make the announcement," Datuk Seri Ismail told reporters while on a visit to a Kedah district on Monday.

"They (opposition leaders) have no participation in the Cabinet. There is no unity government with the opposition," he added.

Mr Ismail's comments came after the Palace said last Wednesday that the King, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, had "expressed the view that MPs should unite to create unity between all political parties", in what has been interpreted by some as a call for a bipartisan government.

In Mr Ismail's maiden speech on Sunday, a day after he was sworn in as Prime Minister by the King, he emphasised cooperation across the political divide and invited opposition leaders to join in the effort to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said on Monday that the opposition had shown encouraging response to his suggestion to be part of the country's National Recovery Council and special committee for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. "The opposition has given me good feedback and I will meet them soon," he said.

PM Ismail called on the public not to believe in a purported Cabinet list that had gone viral, saying it was fake.

Asked who would be his deputy, he said he would consider all parties involved.

Mr Ismail, who has the support of 114 lawmakers in the 220-strong Parliament, took over from Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who resigned last week as prime minister following the loss of his parliamentary majority. Mr Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional government lasted about 18 months only, becoming the shortest reigning government.

Mr Ismail's appointment marked Umno's return to power just three years and three months after it lost federal power for the first time since the country's independence, at the May 2018 general election.

Political analysts said it is vital for Mr Ismail to have his Cabinet up and running to handle the Covid-19 pandemic and to address economic issues. Malaysia yesterday reported 20,837 new Covid-19 cases, slightly lower than the record 23,564 cases recorded last Friday.

The next three months, analysts say, is critical for Mr Ismail, 61, as the nation will scrutinise his actions to assess if he is living up to his promises.

Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said Mr Ismail is expected to form a Cabinet that would be able to work more and talk less.

Dr Mazlan Ali from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the new Cabinet must be one that is seen to be working for the people.

"It has to be a lean government which does not have too many portfolios and is not burdened with too many positions such as two deputy ministers for one ministerial portfolio," he said.

"These three months will be a very critical, a 'do or die' phase for the Prime Minister. He will have to put his stamp on his Cabinet with some new faces so that it is not dismissed as Perikatan 2.0."

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK