Anwar shall not appoint individuals with court cases in his Cabinet - Analysts

SHAH ALAM – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim shall not appoint individuals who have pending court matters as Cabinet members.

Political analyst Ibrahim Suffian said that Anwar should not appoint politicians with pending court issues or whose reputations could doubt the cabinet's ability.

He emphasised that Anwar required competent personnel in order to make the nation more resistant to potential challenges.

“Anwar doesn’t have an easy ride going forward, with a possible economic recession in the horizon, he needs capable hands on board and those that can inspire the government’s bureaucracy to accept the changes that are needed to make the country more resilient and responsive to upcoming challenges,” Ibrahim told Sinar Daily.

Meanwhile, political analyst Professor Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal stated that it had been a typical mistake for the prime minister in the past to choose cabinet members because they were the leaders of parties who supported the prime minister and his party.

Dr Nik Ahmad, however, said that it should not be a problem if the chosen leaders were qualified, capable, and clean enough to become ministers.

“Otherwise, the prime minister and the government will have to carry baggage that may be harmful to the good name of the government.

“They shall be continuously monitored to ensure that they are not involved in nepotism and abuse of power.

“Those elected must be persons who uphold the rule of law, fair and respect the civil servants.

Anwar, Malaysia's newly appointed prime minister, had announced a number of reforms and guiding principles for his administration, including cutting the size of the cabinet and the salary of ministers.

Currently, Anwar is awaiting nominations for cabinet positions from the parties that make up his unity administration.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition led by Anwar has 82 seats, while the opposition parties Barisan Nasional and GPS have 30 and 22.