Saturday 18 May 2013

ILLEGAL MINISTERS IN CABINET?






TO MAKE matters worse for Najib, DAP parliamentary leader and Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang pointed out that five non-MPs appointed to the cabinet could be performing their tasks illegally and unconstitutionally as they have not been sworn in as Senators.
“Najib’s post-13GE cabinet has become a farce and even a joke as it has two illegal ministers and three illegal deputy ministers although they have gone through an unlawful oath-taking ceremony before the Yang di Pertuan Agong yesterday.

The two ministers are Paul Low and  Abdul Wahid Omar (both Prime Minister’s Department), while the deputy ministers are P Waythamoorthy (PM’s Department), J Loga Bala Mohan (Federal Territories)  and Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism).

“Was the two-hour first cabinet meeting yesterday tainted by illegality because of the attendance of two illegal ministers, Paul Low and Abdul Wahid?

“And today, Paul Low is already giving interviews as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, which he is not entitled to, as his ministerial appointment can only take effect when he is sworn in as Senator,” said Lim in a statement.

“I am given to understand that up to now, there has been no swearing in of the five for them to take up the two ministerial and three deputy ministerial appointments.

“Is there going to be a ‘rushed’ midnight swearing-in of the five as Senators?” he asked. (FMT)

36 comments:

  1. ON Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak unveiled his much-anticipated Cabinet line-up after his first voter mandate at the 13th general election.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The following day, Najib chaired the first Cabinet meeting and reminded the ministers to work as a team and give their best to the people and the country. He also stressed that public expectations would be high, and his ministers must be prepared to come under intense public scrutiny.

    ReplyDelete
  3. “It means the people have high expectations of us and how we behave, whether it's us personally or our family members. “As such, we must be aware of what we are doing, how we carry ourselves and our way of life so the people will not question anything involving our integrity as a member of the administration,” he said.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As to be expected, there are differing opinions on “Team Najib” and whether they are up for the job in meeting rising voter expectations as well as the many challenges facing the country.

    ReplyDelete
  5. In evaluating the line-up, it is worthwhile to temper our expectations with an understanding of the challenges Najib faced when selecting his team members.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Getting the best people for the positions is the top priority but the Prime Minister also needed to ensure a line-up that reflects key political realities of the country.

    ReplyDelete
  7. A dilemma he faced was over Chinese representation in the Cabinet, since the MCA had declined to accept any government position after its dismal showing at the polls.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Barisan's main Chinese component party at an extraordinary general meeting last year had resolved that it would not accept any government position if it did not do as well as it did in the 2008 general election.

    ReplyDelete
  9. In the end, Najib's solution was to “hold” one position, the Transport Ministry, for the MCA until the party sorted out its problems. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has been designated the caretaker Transport Minister.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The new line-up included more representatives from Sabah and Sarawak and rightly so as this reflects Barisan's strong performance in these two states.

    ReplyDelete
  11. As expected, Najib did not limit his choices to the 133 MPs. He also opted to bring in outside talent, the so-called technocrats, into the Cabinet via the appointments of Maybank's Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and Transparency International's Datuk Paul Low.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The move is laudable, injecting greater professionalism in his administration. The appointees come with a clean slate with no political baggage that can weigh them down, an added benefit.

    ReplyDelete
  13. We wish our ministers and their deputies all the best in light of the heavy burden they must bear over the next five years of the Government's term.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The new team needs to help Najib steer the country's economy to continued growth and ensure a successful rollout of the National Transformation Programme.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The other major task will be to help bring Malaysians closer together following the outcome of a fractious general election.

    ReplyDelete
  16. With Najib's team in place, all Malaysians regardless of their political affiliations should give the new line-up the necessary space and support they require so they can get on with the job at hand.

    ReplyDelete
  17. In return, our hope is for all the newly-minted team members to never forget they are accountable to the people who will be closely watching their every move for the next five years.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mendahului barisan
    menteri dan timbalan menteri yang dilantik mengangkat sumpah jawatan dan
    taat setia serta sumpah simpan rahsia di hadapan Yang di-Pertuan Agong,
    Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah di Istana Negara

    ReplyDelete
  19. Upacara penuh istiadat itu disaksikan Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku
    Hajah Haminah dan dihadiri Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
    dan isteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor serta bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun
    Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Acara penyerahan surat cara pelantikan serta melafaz sumpah jawatan dan
    taat setia bagi menteri dan timbalan menteri dijalankan secara
    berkumpulan seramai enam orang.

    ReplyDelete

  21. Upacara mengangkat sumpah jawatan itu turut menyaksikan penampilan beberapa muka baharu dalam barisan Kabinet.

    Mereka ialah Ahli Parlimen Rembau, Khairy Jamaludin Abu Bakar; Ahli
    Parlimen Beaufort, Datuk Azizah Mohd. Dun; Ahli Parlimen Tenggara, Datuk
    Halimah Mohd. Saddique; Ahli Parlimen Pontian, Datuk Ahmad Maslan dan
    Ahli Parlimen Arau, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Khairy ketika ditemui berkata, beliau bersyukur kerana diberi amanah
    menggalas tanggungjawab sebagai Menteri Belia dan Sukan sekali gus
    berazam untuk mendekati golongan muda negara bagi memahami hasrat dan
    aspirasi mereka.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Saya akan cuba memperbetulkan persepsi golongan muda terhadap kerajaan
    dan menjadi jurucakap mereka supaya aspirasi dan keutamaan golongan ini
    dibawa kepada kerajaan,” katanya.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Azizah pula berkata, beliau berazam melaksanakan tanggungjawab sebagai
    Timbalan Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat dengan
    bersungguh-sungguh.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Bagi Halimah yang dilantik sebagai Timbalan Menteri Kesejahteraan
    Bandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, pembentukan Kabinet baharu ini
    dilihat memberi lebih pengiktirafan dan penghargaan kepada Ahli-Ahli
    Parlimen wanita untuk berada di dalam kabinet.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Shahidan yang dilantik Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri menyeru
    rakyat Malaysia membuka buku baharu dan meminta semua pihak melaksanakan
    tanggungjawab masing-masing selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 pada 5 Mei
    lalu.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tidak banyak pilihan untuk menamakan anggota kabinet pasca PRu13 ini. Selain jumlah wakil rakyat yang berkurangan berbanding 2008 (dibantu 8 kemenangan percuma), MCA dan Gerakan juga menolak dari menerima sebarang jawatan dalam kerajaan berikutan prestasi buruk mereka dalam kempen PRU yang lepas.Najib, walaupun mempunyai kuasa mutlak untuk menamakan anggota kabinetnya, tetap menghormati permintaan tersebut tapi dalam masa yang sama masih menamakan wakil orang Cina dalam pentadbirannya iaitu Datuk Paul Low dan Datuk Mary Yap.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Buat pertama kalinya juga sejak pilihanraya umum 1969, kabinet kerajaan persekutuan dianggotai hampir 90% Melayu dan bumiputera Sabah/Sarawak.

    Seperti biasa, pemilihan anggota kabinet ini tidak lepas dari mendapat pelbagai bentuk komen oleh banyak pihak, termasuk dari kalangan pemimpin dan ahli UMNO sendiri. Ada yang kecewa kerana pemimpin tertentu menjadi Menteri dan ada pula yang marah kerana pemimpin yang disokongnya tidak mendapat tempat.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Walaupun reaksi seumpama ini memang sudah dijangka tapi dilihat Perdana Menteri membuat keputusan yang tepat dalam keadaan yang sukar. Kalau kita lihat semula senarai tersebut, kebanyakkan anggota kabinet yang dilantik adalah mengikut kedudukan masing-masing dalam parti yang diwakili.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Selain itu, ada juga yang dipilih kerana kepakaran tertentu dalam bidang masing-masing yang tidak dimiliki oleh ahli Parlimen sedia ada. Maklum sahajalah, bukan semua calon BN yang dikenalpasti mempunyai kepakaran dalam pengkhususan yang diperlukan, menang dalam pilihanraya umum yang lepas.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Dalam masa yang sama, Najib bukan setakat perlu memikirkan keahlian dalam kabinetnya sahaja, kedudukan penyokong kerajaan di Parlimen juga perlu diberi perhatian. Tolak semua yang telah dilantik, tinggal 82, berbanding 89 ahli Parlimen pembangkang di Parlimen. Kalau semua yang bijak berhujah diangkat naik mengetuai kementerian, siapa yang nak mempertahankan kerajaan di Parlimen?

    Bercakap tentang kedudukan dalam politik, penulis yakin dengan beberapa proses pemilihan parti-parti utama yang mungkin berlaku kali ini, kabinet ini mungkin akan mengalami perubahan lagi untuk disesuaikan dengan keputusan pemilihan itu nanti. Lagipun tidak pernah berlaku dalam sejarah barisan kabinet yang sama kekal selama 5 tahun tanpa sebarang rombakan.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Para penganalisis politik mencadangkan barisan Kabinet baharu yang bakal dibentuk oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak perlu memberi keutamaan kepada aspek pengukuhan dan pemantapan perpaduan nasional.


    ReplyDelete
  33. Penasihat undang-undang Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM), Prof. Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod berkata, aspek penyatuan bangsa perlu diberi penekanan khusus bagi membantu memulihkan ikatan perpaduan antara kaum dalam jangka masa panjang.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Menurut beliau, perkara tersebut tidak boleh dipandang ringan selepas mengambil kira keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU-13) yang menyaksikan penolakan undi daripada sebahagian besar masyarakat Cina di negara ini.

    “Saya berpendapat perlu ada satu penegasan dari sudut membangunkan perpaduan kaum di negara ini dan kerajaan perlu mewujudkan sebuah kementerian baharu yang menekankan perihal perpaduan negara serta integriti kaum.

    ReplyDelete
  35. “Walaupun kerja ini berat, saya percaya Pasukan Transformasi Barisan Nasional (BN) mampu membawa pembaharuan ini dengan mengukuhkan ikatan perpaduan antara rakyat berbilang kaum di Sabah, Sarawak serta Semenanjung,” katanya.


    ReplyDelete
  36. Mengulas lanjut, Nik Ahmad berkata, pembentukan Kabinet baharu itu juga perlu mengimbangi komposisi kaum dan ia diharap dapat melahirkan bangsa Malaysia yang lebih berdaya tahan dalam menghadapi pelbagai cabaran arus globalisasi.

    ReplyDelete