I had in an article posted on Thursday, April 2, 2009, reasoned out as to who would be the likely candidates to be part of Najib's 'reformed cabinet', as well as those who would be told to take the exit door. Though the list is not all that accurate, I am pleased to note that those whom I had expected not to be named are almost perfect, and they are Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Azalina Othman, Noraini Ahmad, Syed Hamid Albar and Nor Mohd Yacob.
I also did not give Khairy Jamaluddin a chance for obvious reasons, but I least expect Muhkriz to be made the International Trade & Industry Deputy Minister. I do however believe that the choice of Muhkriz is favourable, as he has the charisma and is said to be clean. I do expect some disgruntlement among UMNO youth, and to add greater insult to Khairy, his deputy is also made a Deputy Minister. Where then lies the future of Khairy, and was Tun Dr. Mahathir instrumental in the choice of Muhkriz, and dumping Khairy?
I had however failed in my predictions of the four top UMNO leaders i.e. Muhyiddin, Ahmad Zahid, Hishamuddin and Shafie Afdal, but the position offered to them are fairly significant.
Ahmad Zaid whom I thought would have been better at Education Ministry, is now the new Defence Minister. He is no alien to the ministry, for he was in the 80's the Political Secretary to Naijb. One knows him for his fiery speeches during his days as the UMNO Youth leader, but one can be surprised at his gentle demeanor if one gets to know him. I know, the Armed Forces will only be too pleased to have Ahmad Zahid as their new minister.
I also believe that Shafie Afdal fits well as the new Rural & Regional Development Minister. He now has every reason to move more frequently to the interior of Sabah and Sarawak where rural development is most needed. Having served in the two East Malaysian states many times, I am of the opinion that rural Sabah and Sarawak deserves more attention than their counterpart in the peninsular. And both the state governments has not done enough for the rural folks for last four decades.
The Armed Forces should be proud to have its Religious Corps Director Maj Gen Dato Jamil Khir appointed the Religious Affairs Minister. This will be the second time an army general is appointed to the post; the first being Brig Gen Dato Hamid Zainal Abidin.
Finally, I am pleased that Najib retains Rais Yatim, the old crusader. He has been an outspoken critic against money politics during the last UMNO general assembly, and to lose him at this stage will not be wise. Being sort of an 'elder' in the cabinet, his experience in government can be fairly useful to the younger generation of ministers.
The days ahead for Najib and his newly appointed ministers and deputy ministers will be a challenging one. Najib has set the tone on the conduct of his minister/deputy ministers, and how he wants the government to be managed. The Najib's administration has another 3 more years before the next general elections. And the sooner they get down to prove their worth, the better chances they have in turning the tables on the opposition, who are poised the take on the BN challenge.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Posted at 7.30 pm on April 9, 2009
Showing posts with label najib/new cabinet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label najib/new cabinet. Show all posts
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
WHAT WILL BE NAJIB’S CABINET LINE UP ?
Tomorrow, April 3, 2009 at 10 am, Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak will be sworn in as the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia, in a ceremony to be held at the Istana in Kuala Lumpur, in the presence of the King, thus ending all speculations and rumours regarding the succession to Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Never has Malaysians been so divided in their choice as to who they prefer as the next Prime Minister after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Even from among the ranks of UMNO itself, there has been uneasiness and uncertainty as to the choice of Najib, who had over the last few years been severely criticized by the opposition for allegations of corruption, sexual escapade and even murder. Such allegations though not brought before the courts has somehow affected Najib’s standing in the eyes of the Malaysian public.
It is only Najib who knows the entire truth, and he cannot lie when he is brought to face the Almighty in the hereafter. That will be everybody’s fear, but how many amongst us really fear the hereafter?
And any amount of swearing by Najib will not convince anyone with a fixed negative perception of him, that he is innocent of all the allegations. It is for this reason that many have suggested that Najib clears himself of all allegations first, before he becomes the Prime Minister. Some have even suggested that Najib brings to court those who deliberately demonized him. But Najib had all along preferred to be defensive with his ‘enemies’, and this has made them even bolder.
I think, the most challenging task for Najib upon his succession as the newly anointed Prime Minister will be the choice of his cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. I believe Muhyiddin Yassin is the obvious choice as the Deputy Prime Minister, and for Najib to disregard this choice will incur the wrath of many from within the party. This is the least that Najib wants to be burdened with at the start of his premiership.
I also believe that Najib would want to ensure the highest level of loyalty from among his most senior party leaders, especially those who were elected to the three posts of the party’s Vice President, and the Deputy President.
To ensure loyalty and unbridled support, I believe all the four senior party leaders i.e. Muhyiddin Yassin, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hishamuddin Hussein and Shafie Afdal, to my mind will be offered the ‘command’ of important ministries such as Finance, Defence, Home Affairs, Education, Foreign Affairs and possibly International Trade.
Allow me to hasten a guess as to how I think Najib’s would want to ‘deploy’ his four top senior party leaders, and with himself as the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. The four others as follows:
1. Defence - Hishamuddin Hussein
2. Education - Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
3. Home Affairs - Muhyiddin Yassin
4. International Trade - Shafie Afdal
It is most likely that Rais Yatim, through having lost in his bid for the Supreme Council seat will retain his Foreign Ministry portfolio. He articulates well in the international arena, and to replace him now will not be a good for the country.
I also sense that several ministers will lose their job as they are seen as non performers. My intuition tells me that the likes of Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Azalina Othman,Noraini Ahmad, Mohd Noor Yacob and Syed Hamid Albar will be told to take their leave.
It will also be interesting to see whether Najib will offer Shahrizat Jalil and Khairy Jamaluddin a ministerial post; they having won the Wanita and Pemuda top post respectively. I have my qualms concerning Khairy because of the controversies surrounding his qualification as a candidate for the Pemuda, despite being found guilty for money politics by the party’s disciplinary committee. And he is also not a popular person among the grassroots, as seen during the recent UMNO General Assembly.
One person that I have my highest regards is Mustapha Mohamed who won the highest vote for the Supreme Council. He should be considered for an important cabinet post; like taking over the post of Finance Minister. This will relief Najib of the post, and to allow him to concentrate on his Prime Minister’s portfolio which is ever encompassing.
In deciding his final line up of his cabinet, Najib must be weary of those who are known to have been involved in corruption in the past, and they should not be considered at all, if Najib is indeed serious in wanting to eradicate corruption among his ministers.
We have heard how power have corrupted politicians, and the Khir Toyo's on-going case is one obvious bad example. There are still many others, but time will tell the extend of corruption that has permeated the ranks of ministers and politicians in the past.
The nation demands the best of its ministers, and Najib has in no uncertain terms promised that his priority lies in the people first, before self. And will this promise be kept?
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Posted at 11 pm on April 2, 2009
Never has Malaysians been so divided in their choice as to who they prefer as the next Prime Minister after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Even from among the ranks of UMNO itself, there has been uneasiness and uncertainty as to the choice of Najib, who had over the last few years been severely criticized by the opposition for allegations of corruption, sexual escapade and even murder. Such allegations though not brought before the courts has somehow affected Najib’s standing in the eyes of the Malaysian public.
It is only Najib who knows the entire truth, and he cannot lie when he is brought to face the Almighty in the hereafter. That will be everybody’s fear, but how many amongst us really fear the hereafter?
And any amount of swearing by Najib will not convince anyone with a fixed negative perception of him, that he is innocent of all the allegations. It is for this reason that many have suggested that Najib clears himself of all allegations first, before he becomes the Prime Minister. Some have even suggested that Najib brings to court those who deliberately demonized him. But Najib had all along preferred to be defensive with his ‘enemies’, and this has made them even bolder.
I think, the most challenging task for Najib upon his succession as the newly anointed Prime Minister will be the choice of his cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. I believe Muhyiddin Yassin is the obvious choice as the Deputy Prime Minister, and for Najib to disregard this choice will incur the wrath of many from within the party. This is the least that Najib wants to be burdened with at the start of his premiership.
I also believe that Najib would want to ensure the highest level of loyalty from among his most senior party leaders, especially those who were elected to the three posts of the party’s Vice President, and the Deputy President.
To ensure loyalty and unbridled support, I believe all the four senior party leaders i.e. Muhyiddin Yassin, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Hishamuddin Hussein and Shafie Afdal, to my mind will be offered the ‘command’ of important ministries such as Finance, Defence, Home Affairs, Education, Foreign Affairs and possibly International Trade.
Allow me to hasten a guess as to how I think Najib’s would want to ‘deploy’ his four top senior party leaders, and with himself as the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. The four others as follows:
1. Defence - Hishamuddin Hussein
2. Education - Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
3. Home Affairs - Muhyiddin Yassin
4. International Trade - Shafie Afdal
It is most likely that Rais Yatim, through having lost in his bid for the Supreme Council seat will retain his Foreign Ministry portfolio. He articulates well in the international arena, and to replace him now will not be a good for the country.
I also sense that several ministers will lose their job as they are seen as non performers. My intuition tells me that the likes of Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Azalina Othman,Noraini Ahmad, Mohd Noor Yacob and Syed Hamid Albar will be told to take their leave.
It will also be interesting to see whether Najib will offer Shahrizat Jalil and Khairy Jamaluddin a ministerial post; they having won the Wanita and Pemuda top post respectively. I have my qualms concerning Khairy because of the controversies surrounding his qualification as a candidate for the Pemuda, despite being found guilty for money politics by the party’s disciplinary committee. And he is also not a popular person among the grassroots, as seen during the recent UMNO General Assembly.
One person that I have my highest regards is Mustapha Mohamed who won the highest vote for the Supreme Council. He should be considered for an important cabinet post; like taking over the post of Finance Minister. This will relief Najib of the post, and to allow him to concentrate on his Prime Minister’s portfolio which is ever encompassing.
In deciding his final line up of his cabinet, Najib must be weary of those who are known to have been involved in corruption in the past, and they should not be considered at all, if Najib is indeed serious in wanting to eradicate corruption among his ministers.
We have heard how power have corrupted politicians, and the Khir Toyo's on-going case is one obvious bad example. There are still many others, but time will tell the extend of corruption that has permeated the ranks of ministers and politicians in the past.
The nation demands the best of its ministers, and Najib has in no uncertain terms promised that his priority lies in the people first, before self. And will this promise be kept?
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Posted at 11 pm on April 2, 2009
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