KUALA LUMPUR: The Tunku Mahkota of Johor's statement that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim does not have a "good team" is a signal that all measures need to be put in place to shield Malaysia from global political uncertainties and volatile markets, political analysts say.
Such measures, they said, could include a cabinet reshuffle.
Commenting on Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim's opinion on the unity government, they stressed that of utmost importance was the country's economy, especially the impact of the appreciation of the Singapore dollar against the ringgit that has widened the gap between the two currencies.
Professor James Chin, from the University of Tasmania's Asia Institute, was of the view that Tunku Ismail's statement with regards to the performance of the unity government represented the sentiment of the mainstream of the population in the country.
He said what is more important was for the prime minister and his team in the unity government to get the economy of the country "back on track".
"It is very clear that there is something fundamentally wrong with the economic policy that this government is pursuing.
"I do not have to say much, but just look at the foreign exchange rate (between Singapore and Malaysia). This is scaring a lot of people," he said, referring to the surge in the Singapore dollar, which reached a new high of 3.5086 against the ringgit on Oct 24.
Over the years, said Chin, the value of the Singapore dollar has never reversed once the currency hit a certain mark against the Malaysian currency.
"In other words, once the Singapore dollar has broken into the 3.5 mark against the ringgit, do not expect the former to go back to three ringgit.
"In fact, the market is now looking at the possibility of the Singapore dollar breaking into the 'psychological barrier' of the 4.0 mark," he said.
Taking into account the movement of people and the trade relationship between the two countries, Chin pointed out that appreciation of the Singapore dollar has a big impact on the economy of the country.
"I do not want to sound alarming, but many people are worried over such a development. If you want to play politics, please look after the economy. If the people can't feed themselves, I think, we are heading towards dangerous times," he said.
Nevertheless, he said the remarks made by Tunku Ismail should not be interpreted and translated as the dynamics between the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, who has been elected as the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and Anwar.
"You can argue that TMJ is sending a message to Anwar to buck-up and get the cabinet working. It could also serve as a reminder for Anwar to do a cabinet reshuffle, which a lot of people have asked for," he said.
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Dr Azmi Hassan agreed with Chin, saying that the views expressed by Tunku Ismail carried some clout.
"In terms of the efficiency of the cabinet, I think the views expressed by TMJ are in line with the sentiment of the majority of the people.
"They view that certain members of the cabinet, especially those holding critical portfolios linked to addressing the cost of living are not performing to their expectations. Therefore, something concrete needs to be done," he said.
Although Anwar is expected to face a challenging task of reshuffling his Cabinet since most office bearers are top leaders of political parties aligned with the unity government, Azmi said the prime minister should leverage the views expressed by Tunku Ismail to carry out the necessary changes for the betterment of the country.
"The prime minister should take heed of the advice of Tunku Ismail and Sultan Ibrahim, who will be the Yang di-Pertuan Agong effective Jan 14, next year as a good 'excuse' or pretext to reshuffle his Cabinet," he said.
During his appearance on the latest episode of the Keluar Sekejap podcast hosted by sacked Umno member Khairy Jamaluddin and suspended party leader Shahril Sufian Hamdan, Tunku Ismail cast doubt on the cabinet's performance as it enters its first year of governance.
"I do not think he has a good team (cabinet). He has the intention to do good for the country, but he has to do more, execute more. He must be brave to make decisions."