【时评】内阁将重新洗牌？

希盟内阁是否已在酝酿第一次改组，尽管可能只是微小的调动？在布城的权力走廊和希盟成员党的总部流传著，首相马哈迪对几个部长的表现，以及少数部长引发的争议，感到失望。

希盟内阁除了马哈迪、内政部长丹斯里慕尤丁和外交部长拿督赛夫丁阿都拉之外，其他新任部长都没有管理联邦政府的经验。当然，经济事务部长拿督斯里阿兹敏和财政部长林冠英拥有州行政经验，分别出任过雪兰莪州务大臣和槟城首席部长。

因此，人们会给予新政府成员更多时间，让他们改变过去“反对党心态”，适应新角色。尽管马哈迪可以容忍，行政上一些失误及失言，但其逐渐无法忍受，希盟政府被指管理不当，甚至可能被视为接近滥用权力和违反既定规则的做法。

官员陆续离开

如一些部长的“放纵”行为，把多达15名本身效忠者、好友和党员，带进部长的办公室工作，无视公共服务部的规定和马哈迪制定的限制，即每个部长只能带进6人。更复杂的是，一些安排到部长办公室的人，其人格备受质疑。

同时，首相也非常关注，许多部门里高资历和有原则的官员，这包括顾问、新闻秘书和高级机要秘书，由于与部长意见不合，而陆续离开的现象。

本周就有一个备受关注的辞职案例。但必须强调的是，辞去教育部长特别顾问一职的旺赛夫已解释，他是基于受委为全国高等教育基金（PTPTN）主席，为了履行职责，而辞去其形容为勤奋和以结果为取向的教育部长马智礼的特别顾问一职。

受询及其辞职是否与教长坚持出任国际伊斯兰大学主席而引起的争议有关，旺赛夫一笑置之，无论如何，据悉旺赛夫已推荐数位人选给教长。

与此同时，表现不佳的部门已成首相绊脚石。据接近首相的消息人士称，首相将在明年第一季内解决这些问题。

一位希盟官员指出，“他（首相）想给这些部长一个机会。但是对于一个重新出来任相，以纠正其第一次担任首相时执行的政策和专制统治带来的污点，修补其历史地位的人来说，时间是有限的。”

因此，在马哈迪打造其历史地位时，他不会允许任何人破坏他的计划。

其他党欲取而代之

马哈迪必须采取快速行动，平息对其部长的任何批评，以反驳在野党的论述，即这个内阁，不知道在做什么。这指责虽然并不公平，毕竟希盟已尽最大努力来治理这个国家，但人们为它设定的标准远远高于前朝，这也是人们最低的要求。

这就是为什么马哈迪急迫要解决部长表现不佳问题，特别是如果这些受质疑的部长来自其政党──土团党。众所周知，希盟其他成员党也争著要掌管对国家建设至关重要的部门，这些部门可直接面对选民，如教育部、乡村发展部、企业家发展部、青年和体育部──这些部门目前都由土团党议员出任。一旦这些部门表现不佳或部长备受议论，都会引发公正党、诚信党、民兴党和行动党要求取而代之。

马哈迪需要确保其公开承认的继任者拿督斯里安华，继承的内阁是无问题的，能够实现其愿景的，并希望安华能持续执行下去。马哈迪为了保著其历史地位，他需要确保离去时，其获得人们的拥戴，就如509大选时，人们希望他出任首相一样。

不幸的是，这过程必须从清理其执政团队开始，把那些在过去5个月中显示他们无法适任者清除掉。

 

《内阁将重新洗牌？》原文（A reshuffle already in the cards?）：

IS the first Pakatan Harapan (PH) Cabinet already heading for a reshuffle, albeit a minor one? Talk in the corridors of power in Putrajaya and the headquarters of the PH coalition partners have been rife about Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamadˇs disappointment with the performance of several ministries and the controversies that a handful of ministers have managed to court.

With the exception of Dr. Mahathir, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, none of the newly minted ministers have experience in running a Federal Government.

Of course, Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng have cut their teeth at state level as Menteri Besar of Selangor and Chief Minister of Penang respectively.

Hence, much leeway was given to members of the new administration to get their feet wet and to discard the ¨opposition mentality〃. Thus, while administrative missteps were expected and certain gaffes tolerated, Dr. Mahathirˇs patience have worn thin over allegations of maladministration and even practices that can be construed as bordering on abuse of power and in breach of established rules.

A couple of ministers have taken liberties to staff their offices with up to 15 loyalists, friends and party members in defiance of Public Services Department rules and Dr. Mahathirˇs own limit of only six per ministry. This is compounded by the existence of questionable characters in some of these ministersˇ offices.

In contrast, the exodus of highly qualified and principled officials including advisors, press secretaries and principal private secretaries from ministries due to disagreements with the minister have also received the Prime Ministerˇs attention.

This week saw one high profile resignation. But it must be stressed that Wan Saiful Wan Jan had explained it was his commitments as the chairman of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) that forced him to quit as special advisor to Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik  whom he described as hardworking and results-oriented.

When contacted Wan Saiful laughed off suggestions that his resignation had anything to do with Dr Maszleeˇs penchant for being a magnet for controversy with his eyebrow-raising statements and insistence on assuming the role of president of the International Islamic University (UIAM). However it is learnt that Wan Saiful had recommended several other candidates.

Meanwhile, underperforming ministries are a stone in the Prime Ministerˇs shoe. According to sources close to him, Dr Mahathir will address these issues by the first quarter of next year.

¨He wants to give his ministers a chance. But for a man who is out to secure his legacy which had been tarnished by some of his own policies and authoritarian rule during his first tenure as PM,〃 said a PH official.
Hence Dr. Mahathir is not going to allow anyone to derail his plans to secure his place on the right side of history.

Dr Mahathir must move quick to quell any criticisms of his ministers to counter the opposition narrative that this is a Cabinet that does not know what itˇs doing. As unfair as it sounds, despite PHˇs best efforts to run the country, the standards people have set for it are much higher than its predecessor, where for all intents and purposes we were scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Which is why It is also crucial for Dr Mahathir to address any concerns especially if those ministries in question are held by his own party, Bersatu. It is no secret that the other coalition partners are eyeing choice ministries crucial to nation building and which have direct access to the electorate such as Education, Rural Development, Entrepreneurship Development and Youth and Sports  all held by Bersatu. Any issue in these ministries could trigger demands from PKR, Amanah, Warisan and the DAP for those ministries.

Dr Mahathir needs to ensure that his publicly acknowledged successor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim inherits a problem-free Cabinet which is able to implement his vision that he hopes Anwar will continue. Dr Mahathir, to preserve his legacy, needs to ensure that he goes out on the same high that the people embraced him on May 9 as our next premier.
Sadly this has to start with the painful process of purging his administration of those who in these past five months have demonstrated that they are not cut out for the job.