TALKS about the impending Cabinet reshuffle seems to be much ado about nothing.
I understand that the reshuffle would have been announced after the Cabinet meeting today, and among the many other disappointments of the Madani government, this is certainly one of them.
Postponing the Cabinet reshuffle might not have a serious effect on the nation but it will definitely indicate that priorities are not right with the Madani government.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been in office for nearly 11 months and he might be saying all the right things to get the attention of the West, but on the home front he is but a disappointment.
It is not that the Cabinet reshuffle is going to shake the government, but it might address some of the shortcomings of the government with focus especially on the non-performing ministers and deputy ministers.
The practice of appointing ministers or deputy ministers on the basis of their senatorial appointments should be ceased.
Some of them were appointed by way of the Senate after they lost in the last general election. They were approved as ministers or deputy ministers simply because they happened to be close to Anwar.
Senate appointments have been abused in the country. Appointments to the Senate should be on the criteria of regional or minority representation and it definitely should not be a route to the appointment of ministers and deputy ministers.
It is no wonder these ministerial appointments are often referred to as “backdoor” appointments!
My advice is that the appointment of ministers should be on the basis of they being elected in the elections and not through senate appointments.
Although Anwar has been rather reticent on the Cabinet reshuffle, it has not prevented backdoor manoeuvres for the appointment of certain candidates.
It is rumoured that the BN component parties long overshadowed by UMNO might be given ministerial posts.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and the deputy MIC president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan might be given ministerial posts.
Before the state elections, Anwar had apparently promised MIC of certain political posts. However, nothing can be taken for granted especially when it comes from Anwar.
There are rumours that certain non-performing ministers might be dropped or rotated to other ministries. If they are non-performing, wouldn’t it be better for them to be dropped? Why rotate them to helm other ministries?
If a minister is not performing in a particular ministry, what grounds are there to say that they might perform better in other ministries?
It is quite glaring that the performance of ministers in ministries such as human resources, youth and sports, agriculture, education, and others leaves much to be desired for.
There is an agricultural or food crisis in the country. Yet Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu thinks that the crisis is artificially induced by those bent on making profits from the sale of imported rice.
Bringing in capable ministers might mitigate the problems to some extent but unfortunately, a Cabinet reshuffle seems far off.
Anwar has gotten into the habit of travelling and meeting leaders in various nations. There is nothing wrong in having these meetings, but whether they are going to resolve domestic problems remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, promised foreign investments are not coming into the country. Signing memorandums of understanding with overseas companies is no guarantee of foreign investments.
Brain drain still persists, Talent Corp remains a “corpse”, foreign debt remains the same, and local talents continue to be muzzled by the vicious racist system.
What is being promised outside remains a rhetoric in the country. As someone remarked recently, Anwar’s performance reeks of hypocrisy especially in relation to the domestic front.
Given all these problems whether from the past or the present, the country needs not just the superficial Cabinet reshuffle. It needs a good leader or team of leaders who will have the political will to do what is necessary.
I doubt the Madani government has the guts and political will to revamp and restructure the political economy of the country.
It is with much regret that I have to say the present government has no set of reforms to take the country on the difficult path of development and prosperity. – Oct 4, 2023
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the former DAP state assemblyman for Perai. He is also the former deputy chief minister of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main pic credit: MalaysiaNow
