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)
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.
ReplyDeleteThe 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“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.
ReplyDeleteAs 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.
ReplyDeleteIn evaluating the line-up, it is worthwhile to temper our expectations with an understanding of the challenges Najib faced when selecting his team members.
ReplyDeleteGetting 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.
ReplyDeleteA 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.
ReplyDeleteBarisan'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.
ReplyDeleteIn 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.
ReplyDeleteThe new line-up included more representatives from Sabah and Sarawak and rightly so as this reflects Barisan's strong performance in these two states.
ReplyDeleteAs 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.
ReplyDeleteThe 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.
ReplyDeleteWe 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.
ReplyDeleteThe new team needs to help Najib steer the country's economy to continued growth and ensure a successful rollout of the National Transformation Programme.
ReplyDeleteThe other major task will be to help bring Malaysians closer together following the outcome of a fractious general election.
ReplyDeleteWith 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.
ReplyDeleteIn 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.
ReplyDeleteTimbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mendahului barisan
ReplyDeletementeri 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
Upacara penuh istiadat itu disaksikan Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku
ReplyDeleteHajah Haminah dan dihadiri Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
dan isteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor serta bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Acara penyerahan surat cara pelantikan serta melafaz sumpah jawatan dan
ReplyDeletetaat setia bagi menteri dan timbalan menteri dijalankan secara
berkumpulan seramai enam orang.
ReplyDeleteUpacara 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.
Khairy ketika ditemui berkata, beliau bersyukur kerana diberi amanah
ReplyDeletemenggalas tanggungjawab sebagai Menteri Belia dan Sukan sekali gus
berazam untuk mendekati golongan muda negara bagi memahami hasrat dan
aspirasi mereka.
Saya akan cuba memperbetulkan persepsi golongan muda terhadap kerajaan
ReplyDeletedan menjadi jurucakap mereka supaya aspirasi dan keutamaan golongan ini
dibawa kepada kerajaan,” katanya.
Azizah pula berkata, beliau berazam melaksanakan tanggungjawab sebagai
ReplyDeleteTimbalan Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat dengan
bersungguh-sungguh.
Bagi Halimah yang dilantik sebagai Timbalan Menteri Kesejahteraan
ReplyDeleteBandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, pembentukan Kabinet baharu ini
dilihat memberi lebih pengiktirafan dan penghargaan kepada Ahli-Ahli
Parlimen wanita untuk berada di dalam kabinet.
Shahidan yang dilantik Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri menyeru
ReplyDeleterakyat Malaysia membuka buku baharu dan meminta semua pihak melaksanakan
tanggungjawab masing-masing selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 pada 5 Mei
lalu.
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.
ReplyDeleteBuat pertama kalinya juga sejak pilihanraya umum 1969, kabinet kerajaan persekutuan dianggotai hampir 90% Melayu dan bumiputera Sabah/Sarawak.
ReplyDeleteSeperti 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteSelain 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.
ReplyDeleteDalam 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?
ReplyDeleteBercakap 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.
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.
ReplyDeletePenasihat 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.
ReplyDeleteMenurut 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.
ReplyDelete“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.
“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.
ReplyDeleteMengulas 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