PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has no issue with views on who should be axed from his Cabinet.
But at the end of the day, Dr Mahathir said, it would be he who makes the final decision on the matter.
The prime minister said this in response to Pas deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s call for Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to get the boot.
“People can express their opinion, but I will decide (on any matter) if it is agreed to (with the consensus) by the five parties forming the coalition,” he told reporters after the soft launch of the Kuala Lumpur Summit.
Tuan Ibrahim was reported in Parliament saying Lim should be the one to go if a plan to reshuffle the Cabinet happens.
The Kubang Kerian member of Parliament said the finance minister had failed in preparing the country’s budget.
“I think if we are to do an online poll, many people would have voted for him to be replaced. The sooner, the better,” Tuan Ibrahim was quoted as saying.
Tuan Ibrahim cited an example of what appeared to be an imbalanced budget allocation between Penang at RM10 billion and the halal industry at RM10 million.
The halal market is worth billions, so it should receive a better allocation, he said, adding a cabinet reshuffle should be held as soon as possible.
Tuan Ibrahim also reminded the government to stop blaming the previous administration, as it is now almost two years since they came to power.