Cabinet line-up has been criticised by Opposition MPs

 PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet line-up announced by newly-minted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has been criticised by Opposition MPs as being too similar to the previous Cabinet under Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman regarded the Cabinet announcement by Ismail Sabri as a "wasted opportunity" to appoint leaders of calibre such as former deputy speaker Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Datuk Seri Dr Asyraf Wajdi, Shahril Hamdan and PAS' Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari among others.

Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh also lamented the exclusion of Azalina in the Cabinet.

She also said Ismail Sabri's Cabinet line-up does not inspire public confidence.

"Just the same old composition. Same politicians rotating offices in Putrajaya,” she said

Yeoh also proposed for Azalina to be appointed as Parliament Speaker for greater checksand balances

DAP secretary-general and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, meanwhile,said the Cabinet announcement by Ismail Sabri had disappointed many who were expecting fresh faces to find new solutions to the worsening Covid-19 pandemic and its economic effects.

"It will also raise questions about whether Ismail Sabri is genuine about undertaking concrete institutional reforms as expressed during the meeting with Pakatan Harapan leaders two days ago," Lim said in a statement Friday (Aug 27).

Lim was referring to the joint statement issued by the Opposition and Ismail Sabri earlier this week, after they arrived at a consensus to unite and cooperate against Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Subang MP Wong Chen said the size of the Cabinet still looks big, as there are 31 ministers compared to 32 under Muhyiddin's tenure.

Wong said the new Cabinet line-up may not inspire public confidence.

"The new Prime Minister has basically played safe."

On Friday (Aug 27) morning, Ismail Sabri announced his Cabinet line-up, which was aired live on local television channels.

Three ministers from the previous Muhyiddin Cabinet were dropped from the latest Cabinet line-up.

They include Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali (Plantation Industries and Commodities), Datuk Dr Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri (Religious Affairs) and Datuk Seri Redzuan Yusof (Special Functions).

The new Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister is Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin while the minister in charge of Religious Affairs is PAS vice-president Senator Idris Ahmad.

Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, who was Rural and Regional Development Minister, is now the new Special Functions Minister.

Umno's Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasrah, who quit as Energy and Natural Resources on Aug 3, was not reappointed to the Cabinet and his replacement is Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan from PAS.

The Star