Analysts foresee challenges in tackling the civil service and meeting campaign promises for those selected to be in Mahathir's Cabinet, who will be taking their oaths of office on Monday.
The first 15 members of Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Cabinet will take their oaths of office on Monday.
KUALA LUMPUR: As the hours tick away towards Dr Mahatir Mohamad’s first Pakatan Harapan Cabinet of ministers taking office, policy analysts foresee challenges ahead for newcomers at the highest level of politics.
A huge task ahead awaits first-time MPs and Ministers, says analyst Khoo Kay Peng.
Among them are newly-elected Dr Maszlee Malik, at the centre of a public controversy of whether he should be Education Minister, and Rina Harun, who is to be Minister of Rural Development.
Maszlee was elected MP for Simpang Renggam, Johor, while Rina was elected MP for Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur.
Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian believes the new cabinet including the new MPs will fit well as a team led by Mahathir.
New MPs like Maszlee may not have had experience in government but they do have the qualifications, he said.
“The choice of Dr Maszlee is interesting because he’s a vocal proponent for academic freedom, and moderation in Islamic discourse. Given the emerging challenges the country faces, he seems to bring fresh perspective to government,” he told FMT.
Khoo said “Cabinet ministers come with different kind of skills and in today’s world you would also need to be a technocrats as their jobs will be multi faceted.”
He believed that based on “the restrictions and requirements of Pakatan Harapan” the Cabinet chosen by Mahathir “would be the best they can achieve”.
However, Khoo was puzzled by the choice of Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali as Economic Affairs Minister. “I don’t quite understand this move, and it sticks out,” he said. However, he said “Azmin is experienced as an MB and was already proven in Selangor.”
He expected Azmin would have to step down as MB to focus on his ministry which, he said, “is now multi-faceted” and the current demands on an Economic Affairs ministry were no longer those of a traditional economy.
“There is new economy, digital economy, industry 4.0 and much more. The scope is getting bigger while the industry is more multi-layered,” he said.
There was a lot to do, given Malaysia’s position against rising economies such as Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
Azmin has not said whether he would take up the Cabinet position. An announcement is expected to be made tomorrow by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
He expects other prominent people such as Tony Pua to feature in one of the remaining 10 positions in the full 25-member Cabinet, or at least as Deputy Ministers.
“I do not think he will miss out, it will be a surprise if he does,” Khoo said.
Another analyst, former Universiti Malaysia Sarawak lecturer Andrew Aeria said the electorate would have high expectations from the ministers. “They will have to work hard, listen, consult, and follow through on the difficult decisions needed to realise the PH Manifesto promises.
“They would especially have to root out deadwood in the civil service and ensure that government services genuinely meets the needs of the rakyat.
“The proof of their calibre is in their performance. We hope they shall not disappoint the trust and mandate of the rakyat,” he said.
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Sumber Big task ahead for first-time Ministers