New Cabinet most disappointing, as it does not impress Malaysians  as a millennium cabinet but looks very Jurassic

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Media Comments
by Lim Kit Siang 

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Many old tired faces remain and even the new Cabinet Ministers like Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (Minister for Youth, Culture and Sports), Datuk Nazri Abdul Aziz (Minister for Entrepreneurial Development), Datuk Azmi Khalid (Minister for Rural Development) and Datuk Ong Ka Ting (Housing Minister) have not distinguished themselves as millennium leaders  with an open and liberal outlook who could "break the shackles of the past" although Hishammuddin was selected by Asiaweek as one of the 20 Asia’s millennium leaders.

Market reaction had been most negative.  This is why although the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Composite Index (KLCI) went up some ten points earlier in the day  in anticipation of new Cabinet which could inspire market confidence, the KLCI immediately fell by five points after the Cabinet announcement at 4 p.m.  - rendering the market’s instant judgment of the Jurassic cabinet - although it recovered slightly at the end of trading at 5 p.m.

The new Cabinet line-up is also notable for the following reasons:
 

• The absence of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in the Cabinet line-up despite strong speculation that he would return as Finance Minister.
• The failure to form a leaner and smarter Cabinet, by dropping political deadwoods in the previous Cabinet, so as to inspire confidence in government leadership in ushering the nation to face the  manifold challenges of the new millennium.
• The retention of Datuk Abdul Hamid Othman as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department although he was defeated in the polls,  highlighting the grave poverty of UMNO leaders versed in Islam.
• The replacement of Datuk Najib Tun Razak in the important cabinet portfolio  of Education Minister by an outsider, Datuk Musa Mohamad, which should be a "red-light warning" that Najib’s political stocks in UMNO are very low after scraping through in his traditional family seat of Pekan with only 241-vote majority during the election.
• The failure of MCA to get an additional Minister and an additional Deputy Minister or to get a senior Cabinet post, such as Finance,  International Trade and Industry or  Education.
• Gerakan is the sole beneficiary with the additional  appointment of Cheah Kwang Chye as Parliamentary Secretary in the Telekoms and Multimedia Ministry - which is Mahathir’s personal thank-you to Kwang Chye for ending my 30-year parliamentary stint.
• The ridiculous situation where a Minister is a Datuk while a Deputy Minister is a Tan Sri, as in the Transport Ministry - with Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik as Minister and Tan Sri Ramli Ngah as Deputy Minister.  There should be an end to the conferment of the award of Tan Sri to Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers.

(10/12/99)