KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - Hit by a plunging approval rating, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has made a last-minute dash to reshuffle his hugely-underperforming Cabinet, but the revamp appeared more like political moves clearly aimed to shore up his chances of survival - rather than to garner a team that could give the best to the citizenry.
The most eye-catching change was the promotion of Umno's No.2 Mohamad Hasan (also known as Mat Hasan) to foreign minister - a post that will offer the little-known Mat Hasan the chance to broaden his regional and international knowledge as well as raise his profile.
Analysts have said Mat Hasan was the next key person in Umno that Anwar needed to keep happy - in the event that the embattled Zahid Hamidi, the current deputy prime minister, was forced to resign as Umno president due to unpopularity.
The corruption-tainted Zahid, who recently had prostate surgery, has been under tremendous pressure to resign from the Umno top post.
"Mat Hasan has said he wants to keep Umno on the path of moderation, which is a signal he prefers that the party stays aligned to Anwar's unity government rather than to join forces with the opposition to form a new unity government," an analyst told Politics Now!
"But it is a puny move. It all depends on the forces or the warlords within Umno and if they want Anwar toppled, he will be ousted even if he promotes Mat Hasan to DPM. In fact the appointment of Mat Hasan as Foreign Minister lends credence to the talk that Zahid knows he has to give up the Umno presidency. He has stepped on too many toes and the knives are out for him."
Replacing Mat Hasan as defence minister is Khaled Nordin, while former foreign minister Zambry Abd Kadir replaces Khaled as the new higher education minister.
CAN EPF CEO BE THE 'MAGIC CURE' OR JUST ANOTHER 'YES-MAN'?
Employees Provident Fund (EPF) CEO Amir Hamzah Azizan, who was sworn in as senator earlier in the morning, was appointed as the second finance minister.
The Communications and Digital Ministry, erstwhile helmed by the incompetent Fahmi Fadzil, has been split - with Fahmi retained only as communications minister while DAP's Gobind Singh Deo was made digital minister.
Another DAP MP Steven Sim, the deputy finance minister, was promoted to a full minister to helm the human resources ministry and replacing his party mate V Sivakumar.
KIT SIANG'S DAUGHTER GETS ANOTHER HEAVYWEIGHT ROLE
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang's daughter Lim Hui Ying is now deputy finance minister, leaving her previous role as deputy education minister. Umno's Ahmad Maslan, the other deputy finance minister, will be the new deputy works minister.
This means Hui Ying will be the sole deputy minister in the finance ministry, working under the newly-minted Amir Hamzah and Anwar, who appears to be stubbornly clinging onto the Finance Minister's post despite public concern about conflict of interest issues.
Umno’s Johari Ghani, who has eyed the second finance minister post, was appointed as plantation and commodities minister.
"Overall, this is a fairly major revamp but whether it will be more effective remains to be seen. At the moment, what is evident is a bigger payroll for the people to bear because of the additions. Then you have questionable appointments like Zambry as new higher education minister. What can Zambry do there when Khaled was not only ineffective but also unpopular. Then there is the EPF CEO as second finance minister - as though Amir Hamzah will be a magic cure for the economy, It reminds me of Wahid Omar, another corporate guy who couldn't make it because he got compressed by all the snaky politicians and Amir's boss is Anwar, the PM and FM himself. Let's hope Amir won't be reduced to being a yes-man," a veteran political watcher told Politics Now!
"The only popular move will be Mat Hasan because he is liked by most voters and they appreciate him getting a chance because they see him as hardworking and careful. But nobody knows why Anwar is keeping the Finance Minister's post which is perhaps the most contentious problem in his Cabinet. Another questionable is keeping Fahmi who arguably has single-handedly tarnished Pakatan Harapan's reformist image. Not to mention, keeping the other unpopular greenhorn Fadhlina Sidek as Education minister. So except for Mat Hasan, it looks like this new Cabinet will remain a Little Napoleons Cabinet, with an overarching goal to preserve Anwar as PM."
DR DZUL IS BACK
Amanah’s Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, the popular former health minister, has been brought back to the Cabinet and will take over the health portfolio from Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who is now minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of the Federal Territories.
Fadillah Yusof, the second DPM, will now be responsible for matters pertaining to Sabah and Sarawak. Joseph Kurup was also made the new deputy minister of agriculture and food security while Akmal Nasir the new deputy minister of energy and public works
DAP's Ramkarpal Singh was replaced by party mate M Kulasegaran, a former human resources minister, as the deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department for (Law and Institutional Reform).
NEW CABINET LINE-UP
Prime Minister and Finance Minister: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Finance Minister II: Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan
Deputy Finance Minister: Lim Hui Ying (previously deputy Education Minister)
Deputy Prime Minister and Rural and Regional Development Minister: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister: Datuk Rubiah Wang
Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Transition and Public Utilities Minister: Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (also responsible for Sabah Sarawak wellbeing)
Energy Transition and Public Utilities Minister Deputy Minister: Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (previously deputy Local Government Development Minister)
Transport Minister: Anthony Loke
Deputy: Datuk Hasbi Habibollah
Agriculture and Food Security Minister: Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu
Deputy: Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup (previously deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister)
Economy Minister: Rafizi Ramli
Deputy: Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib
Local Government Development Minister: Nga Kor Ming
Deputy: Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu (previously deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister)
Foreign Minister: Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (previously Defence Minister)
Deputy: Datuk Ahmad Alamin
Works Minister: Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi
Deputy: Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (previously deputy Finance Minister)
Home Minister: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
Deputy: Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister: Tengku Datuk Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz
Deputy: Liew Chin Tong
Defence Minister: Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (previously Higher Education Minister)
Deputy: Adly Zahari
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister: Chang Lih Kang
Deputy: Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal (previously Higher Education Deputy Minister)
Women, Family and Community Development Minister: Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri
Deputy: Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad (New)
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform): Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said
Deputy: M. Kulasegaran (New)
Natural Resources and Sustainability: Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (New Ministry, split from previous Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry)
Deputy: Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii
Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister: Datuk Ewon Benedick
Deputy: Datuk Ramanan Ramakrishnan (New)
Higher Education Minister: Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir (previously Foreign Minister)
Deputy: Datuk Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus Sakmud (previously deputy Human Resources Minister)
Tourism, Arts, and Culture minister: Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing
Deputy: Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan
Communications Minister: Fahmi Fadzil (New ministry, split from previous Digital and Communications Ministry)
Deputy: Teo Nie Ching
Education Minister: Fadhlina Sidek
Deputy: Wong Kah Woh (New)
Unity Minister: Datuk Aaron Ago Anak Dagang
Deputy: Saraswathy Kandasami (previously deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister)
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs): Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar
Deputy: Dr Zulkifli Hasan (New)
Youth and Sports Minister: Hannah Yeoh
Deputy: Adam Adli Abd Halim
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories): Dr Zaliha Mustafa (previously Health Minister)
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister: Armizan Mohd Ali (previously Minister in Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions)
Deputy: Fuziah Salleh
Plantation and Commodities Minister: Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (New)
Deputy: Datuk Chan Foong Hin (previously deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister)
Health Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (New)
Deputy: Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni
Digital Minister: Gobind Singh Deo (New Ministry)
Deputy: Datuk Ugak Anak Kumbong
Human Resources Minister: Steven Sim Chee Keong
Deputy: Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad (previously deputy Works Minister)
Written by Stan Lee, Politics Now!
Politics Now!
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