PETALING JAYA: The latest Cabinet is very much a continuation of the previous Perikatan Nasional administration, but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has put his own stamp on it by bringing in a few Umno warlords, say analysts.
They also said that although he described it as a fortified Cabinet to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and aid economy recovery, it is very clear that he has fished from the very same pool of resources left to him by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
However, it remains to be seen if the slightly tweaked version will work better than its predecessor.
Political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies said it is very clear that Ismail Sabri, being an Umno vice-president, wants to ensure the party is seen as dominating the Cabinet since he is the Prime Minister.
“This is not a recycled Cabinet but a continuation of that of the Perikatan government under Muhyiddin.
“Ismail Sabri has also had to contend with the double crises affecting the nation – the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis – and he has to ensure the Cabinet will be able to continue the programmes and policies that are in place.
“It is logical for any prime minister to strengthen himself while being in the position. More so for Ismail Sabri, who must ensure his tenure is not cut short,” said Shamsul Amri.
He pointed out that since the 14th general election in 2018, Malaysia has had three prime ministers, including Ismail Sabri.
Pakatan Harapan’s Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad helmed the government for 22 months before he resigned, and Perikatan’s Muhyiddin held on for 17 months before he too had to leave when 15 Umno MPs retracted their support, leading to the fall of his government.
Shamsul Amri said that while it may have been a condition for him to keep some of the ministers from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in exchange for the party’s support of him as premier, Ismail Sabri may have also considered the ripple effects of the pandemic.
“As for his bringing back Umno warlords such as Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim and Tan Sri Noh Omar, it is preparation for the pending Umno elections, as these three are known to be seasoned campaigners at the grassroots level.
“They can offset attacks from the Umno group under party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“We must bear in mind that Ismail Sabri needs to get a solid footing in Umno as he is only a vice-president – a mere lieutenant-general in his own party,” added Shamsul Amri.
He also said that Ismail Sabri’s choice of which Bersatu ministers to retain seemed to hint at his preference for the ones who were from Umno and PKR, and not founding members of the party once aligned to Dr Mahathir.
Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian said the new Cabinet did not live up to people’s expectations.
“It is a huge Cabinet and people were expecting a small and trimmed Cabinet.
“With a huge Cabinet comes huge responsibility, as the Prime Minister will have to show immediate results to avoid being seen as defending his bloated team,” he added.
Prof Sivamurugan said the deputy prime minister’s post was likely not announced to avoid dealing with the many camps in Bersatu.
“Perhaps the post was set aside to avoid camps within Bersatu that have keen contenders. Also, this cooling-off period will allow him to solidify his Umno base,” he said.
Political analyst Dr Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said Ismail Sabri did not have much choice but to fish from the same pond.
“He became the Prime Minister with the support of Perikatan and Barisan Nasional MPs who were the previous government.
“It remains to be seen if his Cabinet will be focusing on the pandemic, but it is also obvious he realises the need to strengthen his support from the Opposition.
“The Opposition has agreed to work with him and this promises greater political stability,” he added.
He was referring to the meeting between Ismail Sabri and Pakatan leaders on Aug 25, where all signed a conciliatory statement vowing to work together to fight the pandemic for the good of the people.
“The question now is whether some of the combinations he has put together for certain ministries are the right fit,” said Mazlan.
Prof Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said the Cabinet is a mere reshuffle.
“This is not a Cabinet to fight the pandemic as most of the non-performing ministers are still there or reshuffled to other posts.
“There’s no consideration for ministers’ qualifications such as the Health Minister, who is now not a scientist or doctor.
“A Cabinet to fight the pandemic may have been possible if the formation went beyond partisan politics.
“For now, it is a highly Perikatan government in power until the next election,” said Azmil.
