‘Cabinet expansion’ confirms Najib’s inability to revamp Umno line-up

– Liew Chin Tong
The Malaysian Insider
25 June 2014

Today’s Cabinet reshuffle should more aptly be described as a “Cabinet expansion”.

No deadwood was dropped from the Cabinet and more importantly, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak failed to present a new slate of Umno ministers.

Since the end of 2013, numerous versions of the speculated Cabinet reshuffle have been circulated after all major Barisan Nasional component parties concluded their respective party elections.

Most Malaysians who want to see the country moving forward were anticipating the following:

1. Would the conservative Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin call it quits to allow Najib to move Umno to a centrist position?

2. Would there be a full-time Finance Minister to handle the mounting challenges on the economic front?

3. As the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 incident has shown the world that Malaysia needs a new foreign minister, would there be a replacement for Datuk Seri Anifah Aman?

4. Would Datuk Seri Jamil Khir be dropped for causing distress to the prime minister’s supposed centrist agenda?

5. Would the popular Khairy Jamaluddin be promoted further?

6. Would the incompetent Tengku Adnan and the scandal-implicated Hassan Malik be shown the exit?

Instead, Najib failed to move Umno even an inch.

The much anticipated reshuffle instead became a minor expansion of the Cabinet and the Prime Minister’s Department.

Before GE13, the Najib cabinet had 29 ministers – there were 32 after the election and 35 now.

Before GE13, the Prime Minister’s Department had five ministers (excluding the premier and his deputy); there were eight after the election and now 10.

What had earlier required 5 ministers, is now handled by 10.

All this just shows that Najib could not rein in his own party and the nation is still stuck in the mud. – June 25, 2014.

* Liew Chin Tong is DAP National Political Education Director and MP for Kluang.