KUALA LUMPUR: By doing away with the deputy prime minister’s post, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wanted to ensure a fair power distribution among political parties.
Geostrategist Azmi Hassan, who described Muhyiddin’s line-up as a “cabinet for all”, said this structure would enable the eighth prime minister to hold the fort with equal support from the political parties.
“Looking at the way Perikatan Nasional (PN) was set up, with support from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, Muafakat Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Datuk Seri Azmin Ali’s faction, it makes sense why Muhyiddin decided to have four senior ministers instead of just one deputy prime minister.
“It’s a way to distribute equal power among political parties via senior minister posts.”
The analyst believed the decision to eliminate the deputy prime minister’s post manifested from previous disagreements on which party should hold the position.
He added that the bloated nature of the cabinet was Muhyiddin’s way of applying the realpolitik scenario.
“There are a lot of entities that need to be satisfied, in this case the four groups in PN, plus representatives from Sabah, including entities that represent the Chinese and the Indians.
“This is the main reason for the ballooning numbers of ministers and their deputies,” Azmi told the New Straits Times.
Azmi praised the move to appoint professionals such as former CIMB Group chief executive officer Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and former Federal Territories mufti Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri. This, he said, was a “good sign” and an indication that Muhyiddin heeded the voices of the people.
“The people want cabinet ministers who are capable and experts in their fields.
“Zafrul’s and Zulkifli’s appointments are a good sign that the individuals chosen are not those confined to political party ideology only, but also include those who can make decisions and policies based on the people’s real concerns. This is very critical, especially for the finance portfolio.”
Azmi said PN needed to demonstrate unity before the May 18 Parliament sitting and prove that they could deliver for the good of the nation.
“Muhyiddin needs to show that his government is for the long haul, capable of leading until the next general election in three years.”
He said it was premature to assume who would succeed Muhyiddin and there was no clear indication on the matter.
Political analyst Dr Ainul Adzellie Hasnul described the move to not have a deputy prime minister as a way to form a cohesive coalition and avoid future dissension between parties.
“Everybody knows that this setup is only for the next three years and the prime minister did this to prevent an internal crisis (between different parties) in the coalition.”
Ainul said given time, this cabinet would be able to perform, deliver and implement sound policies for the nation.
As for the large line-up of ministers and deputy ministers, he said it was a sensible move.
“A lot of work is needed to continue the country’s development.”
For more on Malaysia's 2020 Cabinet line-up, click here.