Najib Cabinet2 not only the most unrepresentative in nation’s history, but also very backward and inward-looking which does not inspire confidence that 1Malaysia and NEM are more than slogans


The Najib Cabinet2 is not only the most unrepresentative Cabinet in the nation’s history with the most number of unelected and unelectable Senators, but also very backward and inward-looking which does not inspire confidence that 1Malaysia and New Economic Model (NEM) are more than slogans.

The minor Cabinet reshuffle yesterday is the second blow in a week to Najib’s claims to reformist credentials – the first being the public humiliation and slap-in-the face the Prime Minister endured when he attended the congress of the Perkasa-led Malay Consultative Council on Saturday to be told of its rejection of NEM.

After the Prime Minister had talked so much about national political, economic, social and government transformation if Malaysia is not to miss the boat to escape the two-decade middle income trap and take the quantum leap to become a high-income advanced nation with inclusiveness and sustainability by 2020, one would have expected the Najib Cabinet2 to send out the message: “We are capable of change”!

But this is not the case. Instead of change and a breath of fresh air, Najib’s Cabinet2 is another game of musical chairs with old, tired and discredited political faces.

Instead of a trimmed-down Cabinet to get rid of Ministerial deadwood, the Cabinet has been expanded with the appointment of four new Senators so that they could be given deputy ministerial appointments.

By Najib’s sleight-of-hand, Barisan Nasional has expanded from a coalition of 14 parties to become a 14+ creature – with Senator Datuk T. Murugiah, retained as Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, in his capacity as President of PPP2!

The dropping of Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat from the Cabinet has not come as a surprise, making him the shortest-serving MCA Minister in MCA history, although not the short-serving MCA elected president – as former MCA President Tan Koon Swan resigned as MCA President in August 1986 after only nine months in office.

However, it must be conceded that Ong outshines all the four MCA Ministers in public credibility.

One example why Najib’s Cabinet2 is sending out all the wrong messages detracting from his claims as the Great Reformer is the elevation of Datuk Chor Chee Heung as Minister for Housing and Local Government.

What signal is Najib trying to communicate when he could appoint Chor as Minister although the latter was among the politicians implicated in the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal for possible conflict-of-interest by the PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) audit report released last year?

Although the Alor Star MP, who was Port Klang Authority Chairman from 2007-2008, had denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he had accepted the post of chairman to do “national service”, Malaysians are entitled to ask why Chor’s disastrous tenure in his “national service” in the PKFZ scandal should not disqualify him from another tenure of “national service” as a full-fledged Minister!

As Chor was specifically implicated by the PwC audit report into the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal, has Chor’s appointment as full Minister been cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)?

It is noteworthy that the new Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kang Cho Ha has nothing to say about the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal in the MCA newspaper, the Star, on his new appointment.

Is the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal now “dead and buried” as an issue in the Barisan Nasional Cabinet and government?

  1. #1 by k1980 on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 11:47 am

    “We are capable of change”

    Yeah, we change the appointment of cabinet ministers from elected reps to unelected senators

  2. #2 by Bigjoe on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 11:50 am

    What the Cabinet reflect is that Najib is reeling backward politically. After more than a year in office, he is still reeling backwards against forces within UMNO/BN. Its reactionary rather than executionary. The man is not in charge. He got a lousy plan that is not going to work. He is scrambling for ideas, for strategy, for people, for resources. He is reeling from the likes of Ibrahim Ali, Samy Vellu, George Chan etc. as well as members of his own team. Its pretty pathetic.

    The worst thing is the opposition, PR is not doing that great either. If he can’t do well against a weak PR, what can he do?

    Najib is living up to his track record as a screw-up and the nation is paying for it.

  3. #3 by Godfather on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 12:09 pm

    PKFZ gets another nail in the coffin of perpetual silence. “who?” “what?” “me?”

  4. #4 by SENGLANG on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 12:50 pm

    We can forget about PKFZ by now with the departure of of the crusader OTK. It was pity that one of the personality remain there in the cabinet for the wrong reason or by reason known to the insiders.

    PKFZ is dead and the file is X-ed by now.

    OTK can take a breath but his efforts should be commendable any way.

  5. #5 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 1:01 pm

    ///The dropping of Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat from the Cabinet has not come as a surprise……/// – Kit

    Of course it has not come as a surprise! The purpose of dropping Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is to bury the PKFZ scandal once and for all. And Najib has made sure that the scandal will not resurrect by choosing the “author of PKFZ scandal” to be Ong’s successor.

  6. #6 by limkamput on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 1:30 pm

    Malaysian Government is a “father and son and family” incorporated company. Bl**dy bunkum, what has that porn king’s son proven so far to be appointed deputy Minister and also entrusted with managing the 2 billion ringgit assets of MCA. I guess it is the same for that jingoistic deputy minister from MITI.

  7. #7 by limkamput on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 1:37 pm

    Godfather :PKFZ gets another nail in the coffin of perpetual silence. “who?” “what?” “me?”

    PKFZ was already doubly embalmed even before the present appointment. He said he will seek the advice of Ong and Chan, the two former MOT ministers. I think it is more beneficial for him to seek the advice of that award winning teacher from Terengganu, i.e. to have sex every night, just may be he will wake up in the morning more energised.

  8. #8 by frankyapp on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 1:38 pm

    Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat fall from grace is a pretty good example and indicator of why others in the BN always remain mum and dumb.It affirmed that UMNO is the “TAIKO” and all others are “MACHAI”. A machai is a yes man,a ball carrier and a good for nothing thing.Hence beware of them.

  9. #9 by k1980 on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 1:57 pm

    Close your eyes and chuck a stone. There are so many political rejects appointed as ministers that the stone may land on one of their heads

    http://media1.malaysiakini.com/264/38749d7d93160e275c37ab247839fe81.gif

  10. #10 by maximus on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 1:58 pm

    Remember few years back a deputy minister’s brother was caught in a drug case? Remember how many millions was paid for his release? What to expect from MCA other than watching prono?

  11. #12 by sheriff singh on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 2:28 pm

    PKfzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……….

  12. #13 by k1980 on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 2:31 pm

    sibu’s lobert lau is hopping mad. He also failed to win the by-election, but unlike the others, he is not appointed as a minister in tuapekkong’s cabinet. “That Tuapekkong hau seaw not fair one,” he grumbles as he swatted the flies on his table

  13. #14 by mendela on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 3:14 pm

    Jib biggest joke is to appoint Chor a full minister in his cabinet!

    Chor is the biggest parasite from MCA. Look at his face closely and immediately you know he is a thief!

  14. #15 by Yee Siew Wah on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 3:57 pm

    The removal of OTK (Ong Tee Keat) and replaced with that tainted Chor Chee Heung (housing and local government minister) will make things worse for BN. If they were to retain OTK then it shows the government is serious about getting to the bottom of the PKFZ (Port Klang Free Zone) scandal.

    Not only did they remove OTK, they replace him with Chor, who is one of the several politicians alleged to be involved in the scandal. Tiong King Sing can now claim he is the real master of all, including Najib, who have to kowtow to the tycoon-cum-Bintulu MP.
    Seem like being honest in BN/UMNO not only does not pay, but worst off all get wallop left, right, centre and top like our poor OTK. Hope OTK still have the integrity and guts to leave MCA/BN and join PKR. Exposed all their greedy and corrupted politicians. At least in PKR, people will respect and listen to you. DO IT NOW!!!

  15. #16 by baochingtian on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 4:18 pm

    Hope we do not repeat the era of Bendahara Tun Mutahir n Bendahara Tun Perpatih where there was practice of pilih kasih (appointm of senators?) n amalan rasuah yang berlaku secara berleluasa which resulted in kemerosotan dan kejatuhan Melaka. Leaders never learn n expect school children to get A+ for History to qualify them for application of gomen scholarships!

  16. #17 by SENGLANG on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 4:22 pm

    PKFZ is the grave yard of BN you think they will will dig further. Any way once a person died he/she off course no the one digging its grave yard it must be done by someone else. so forget about grave yard of PKFZ it was reserve permanently for bn

  17. #18 by victimofcorruption on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 4:33 pm

    recently, there is a claim that Melaka Malay Sultanate began on 1278 instead of 1400…constant discoveries may cause History to be rewritten as more and more artifacts will be discovered…so what if 1 day somebody discovers artifacts which shows that Chinese/Indian were once here way before the Malays? can we then be accorded Bumiputra status as well?

  18. #19 by monsterball on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 4:59 pm

    Ong Tee Keat balls carrying Najib….not working.
    Chua Soi Lek ..no balls carrying style….will it work?
    One thing is very clear…balls carrying or no balls carrying MCA presidents are yes men and puppets to Najib.
    This clearly shows…no matter who is President of MCA…there is no dignity…no principles in life…useless show dogs..these buggers are….pheew!!

  19. #20 by Winston on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 - 5:47 pm

    If people can be made ministers without being elected, then why hold elections?

  20. #21 by boh-liao on Thursday, 3 June 2010 - 9:51 pm

    Ha, ha, ha – NR said he appointed his ministers based on meritocracy n capability
    So, he rated CSL’s son more capable than d talk big SIL, who is fuming mad n jumping up n down like a monyet
    Go get a banana

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