KUALA LUMPUR (July 28): The Cabinet reshuffle may stall the Public Accounts Committee's (PAC) ongoing investigation into the dealings of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) with the appointments of four of its members to the Cabinet, said political analysts.
Independent political analyst Khoo Kay Peng sees today's Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as an attempt to consolidate his authority and promote his staunch supporters such as Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who is now deputy prime minister, and to remove those who have been critical of the 1MDB scandal, namely Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“He (Najib) has removed those who have spoken against him. He has also promoted four PAC members to his new (Cabinet) line-up. Three of them have become deputy ministers and one a full minister," Khoo told theedgemarkets.com.
“However, PAC members should be allowed to complete the investigation (into 1MDB first),” he said.
Khoo was referring to the appointment of PAC outspoken chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed as deputy home minister, its members Datuk Wilfed Madius Tangau as science, technology and innovation minister, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin as deputy tourism and culture minister, and Datuk Seri Reezal Merican as deputy foreign minister.
Khoo is of the view that PAC's investigation into 1MDB will "no longer proceed in the same way", voicing concerns that the four members will be acting in a partisan manner.
“It will be difficult. It may not go the same way. One of the dangers is that it might be partisan over issues that they do not see eye to eye.
"It’s (Cabinet reshuffle) also not a good example by the government in restoring confidence. If no wrongdoing has been committed within 1MDB, there is no need for such interference," added Khoo.
"There is no need to replace the deputy prime minister just because he made some comments on 1MDB,” said Khoo.
Muhyiddin had on Sunday was reported as saying that he had asked Najib to step down as chairman of the board of advisers of the controversial 1MDB, but the latter had ignored his advice.
Muhyiddin, who is also deputy president of Umno, had also said that Najib should take the lead in explaining the 1MDB issue to the people.
Centre of Public Policy Studies chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam also voiced his concerns over Nur Jazlan’s promotion to the Cabinet, especially when he will not be a full minister.
“(Compared to being PAC head), deputy ministers have severe constraints. They do not attend Cabinet meetings. Their ministers can choose to embrace or ignore them,” said Ramon.
With Zahid’s promotion to deputy premier, Navaratnam also fears greater conservatism and control by the government.
The home minister had on July 2, 2015 issued a show-cause letter to The Edge Media Group after saying that the media group's reportage on the 1MDB issue was inaccurate. Last Friday, he had also suspended the publishing permit of The Edge weekly and The Edge Financial Daily for three months from July 27.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief executive officer Wan Saiful Wan Jan said he was not surprised of the Cabinet reshuffle in light of the various criticisms laid out against Najib by his own Cabinet.
“The problem however is with the timing and the way this reshuffle was done. Instead of providing good answers to the many criticisms, the prime minister had chosen to remove his critics. But the questions are still left unanswered.
"The timing and the way this reshuffle was done seem to imply that the prime minister wants only to silence his critics and stop any possible criminal prosecution,” added Wan Saiful.
He pointed out that Muhyiddin now has two options if he wants to remain relevant within Umno, that is, to call for an extraordinary general meeting for Umno or wait for the next parliamentary sitting and initiate a vote of no-confidence against his former boss in Parliament.
“This (Najib’s) move indicates desperation. It is a bad move for the country and raises questions about the integrity of the government. I fear the impact on our socio-political and economic environment,” said Wan Saiful.
Nevertheless, not all analysts are critical on Najib’s new Cabinet line-up.
Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, who was the late Tun Abdul Razak's political secretary, believes that it's about time Najib took actions against his critics.
“Though the prime minister has a small pool to choose from, the choice of Zahid as his deputy is acceptable and appropriate under the current circumstances. In fact, Najib should have acted much sooner.
“His dad would have done that to rid himself of opponents or enemies under the blanket,” Abdullah told theedgemarkets.com.
In a statement announcing his resignation as chairman of PAC today, Nur Jazlan said all proceedings organised in August including 1MDB's will be postponed until the new PAC members are appointed at the next Parliament sitting.
1MDB former chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Halmi and president and group executive director Arul Kanda Kandasamy were due to attend PAC's investigation proceedings into 1MDB on Aug 4 and 5, 2015, respectively.
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YAB DATO’ SRI MOHD. NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK Prime Minister cum Minister of Finance
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YB DATO’ RAZALI IBRAHIM Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
YB DATUK CHUA TEE YONG Deputy Minister of Finance
YB DATUK JOHARI BIN ABDUL GHANI Deputy Minister of Finance
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YAB DATO’ SERI DR. AHMAD ZAHID BIN HAMIDI Deputy Prime Minster cum Minister of Home Affairs
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YB DATUK NUR JAZLAN BIN MOHAMED Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
YB TUAN MASIR ANAK KUJAT Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
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YB DATO’ SRI LIOW TIONG LAI Minister of Transport
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YB DATUK AB. AZIZ BIN KAPRAWI Deputy Minister of Transport |
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YB DATUK SERI DR. S. SUBRAMANIAM Minister of Health
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YB DATO’ SERI DR. HILMI BIN YAHAYA Deputy Minister of Health
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YB DATO’ MAH SIEW KEONG Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
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YB DATO’ SERI MOHAMED NAZRI BIN ABDUL AZIZ Minister of Tourism and Culture
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YB DATUK MAS ERMIEYATI BINTI SAMSUDIN Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture
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YB DATO’ SERI HISHAMMUDDIN BIN TUN HUSSEIN Minister of Defence
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YB DATO' WIRA MOHD JOHARI BIN BAHARUM Deputy Minister of Defence
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YB DATO’ SRI MUSTAPA BIN MOHAMED Minister of International Trade and Industry
YB DATO' SERI ONG KA CHUAN Minister of International Trade and Industry II
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YB DATUK HAJI AHMAD BIN HAJI MASLAN Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry
YB SENATOR DATO’ LEE CHEE LEONG Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry
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YB DATUK SERI PANGLIMA DR. MAXIMUS JOHNITY ONGKILI Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water |
YB DATO’ SRI DR. JAMES DAWOS MAMIT Deputy Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water
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YB DATUK AMAR DOUGLAS UGGAH EMBAS Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities
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YB DATO’ NORIAH BINTI KASNON Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities
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YB DATO’ SRI AHMAD SHABERY BIN CHEEK Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry
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YB DATO’ SRI HAJI TAJUDDIN BIN ABDUL RAHMAN Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry
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YB DATO’ SRI ISMAIL SABRI BIN YAAKOB Minister of Rural and Regional Development
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YB DATUK ALEXANDER NANTA LINGGI Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development
YB DATUK AHMAD JAZLAN BIN YAAKUB Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development
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YB DATO’ SERI AHMAD HUSNI BIN MOHAMAD HANADZLAH Minister of Finance ll
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YB DATO’ SRI ANIFAH BIN AMAN Minister of Foreign Affairs
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YB DATO’ SERI REEZAL MERICAN BIN NAINA MERICAN Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
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YB MEJAR JENERAL DATO’ SERI JAMIL KHIR BIN BAHAROM (B) Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
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YB SENATOR DATO’ DR. ASYRAF WAJDI BIN DATO’ DUSUKI Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs)
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YB SENATOR DATO’ SRI IDRIS JALA Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
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YB TAN SRI DATUK SERI PANGLIMA JOSEPH KURUP Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
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YB DATUK WILFRED MADIUS TANGAU Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation
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YB DATUK DR. ABU BAKAR BIN MOHAMAD DIAH Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation
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YB DATUK JOSEPH ENTULU ANAK BELAUN Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
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YB DATO’ SRI HAJAH ROHANI BINTI HAJI ABDUL KARIM Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
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YB DATUK HAJAH AZIZAH BINTI DATUK SERI PANGLIMA MOHD DUN Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
YB SENATOR DATIN PADUKA CHEW MEI FUN Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development
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YB DATO’ SRI HAJI FADILLAH BIN YUSOF Minister of Works
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YB DATUK ROSNAH BINTI HAJI ABDUL RASHID SHIRLIN Deputy Minister of Works
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YB DATO’ SRI RICHARD RIOT ANAK JAEM Minister of Human Resources
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YB DATO’ SRI HAJI ISMAIL BIN HAJI ABD. MUTTALIB Deputy Minister of Human Resources
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YB DATUK SERI TENGKU ADNAN BIN TENGKU MANSOR Minister of Federal Territories
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YB SENATOR DATO’ DR. LOGA BALA MOHAN A/L JAGANATHAN Deputy Minister of Federal Territories
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YB DATO’ SERI HAJI IDRIS BIN JUSOH Minister of Higher Education
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YB DATUK YAP KAIN CHING @ MARY YAP KEN JIN Deputy Minister of Higher Education
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YB DATO’ SERI DR. SHAHIDAN BIN KASSIM Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
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YB SENATOR DATUK PAUL LOW SENG KUAN Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department |
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YB ENCIK KHAIRY JAMALUDDIN ABU BAKAR Minister of Youth and Sports |
YB DATUK SARAVANAN A/L MURUGAN Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports |
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YB DATUK ABDUL RAHMAN DAHLAN Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government |
YB DATUK HALIMAH BINTI MOHD SADIQUE Deputy Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government |
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YB PUAN HAJAH NANCY BINTI HAJI SHUKRI Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
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YB SENATOR DATO’ SRI ABDUL WAHID OMAR Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department |
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YB DATUK IR. DR. WEE KA SIONG Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department |
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YB DATO’ HAMZAH BIN ZAINUDIN Minister of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives And Consumerism
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YB SENATOR DATO’ PADUKA AHMAD BASHAH BIN MD HANIPAH Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives And Consumerism |
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YB DATUK DR. WAN JUNAIDI BIN TUANKU JAAFAR Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
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YB DATUK IR. HAJI HAMIM BIN SAMURI Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment
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YB DATO’ SERI MAHDZIR BIN KHALID Minister of Education
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YB TUAN P. KAMALANATHAN a/l P. PANCHANATHAN Deputy Minister of Education
YB SENATOR TUAN CHONG SIN WOON Deputy Minister of Education
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YB SENATOR DATUK SERI PANGLIMA DR. `MOHD. SALLEH BIN TUN SAID KERUAK Minister of Communications and Multimedia
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YB DATO’ JAILANI BIN JOHARI Deputy Minister of Communications and Multimedia |
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YB DATO’ SRI AZALINA BINTI DATO’ OTHMAN SAID Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department |
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