THE claim that Sabah and Sarawak will not be represented in the Pakatan Harapan federal cabinet is just premature talk, said Sarawak PH chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

“An announcement was made that Sarawak and Sabah ministers would be placed in the second batch,” he said, commenting on the absence of ministers from the two states in the cabinet line-up announced by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.

“Let the full cabinet be announced. (Then) we will take it from there,” Chong, who is tipped to have a ministerial post, said.

“Let’s not pre-empt any decision. Take it one step at a time.”

The prime minister yesterday announced nine more ministers, in addition to the three senior cabinet ministers he named last Saturday, but none of them were from Sabah or Sarawak.

“The prime minister did say the cabinet would have 25 members. He has not named the works and foreign affairs ministers.”

People in the two territories are still holding on to the promise made by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail that a deputy prime minister’s post will be given to an MP from Sabah or Sarawak.

Wan Azizah, who was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of women and family development, made the promise when launching the “New Deal” for Sabah last September.

Chong, who is also the state DAP chairman and MP for Stampin, said getting a post in the cabinet was secondary to focusing on policies.

“Whether I am happy or not is secondary. The primary focus should be on the policy of saving money.”

“Our policy is to cut down the numbers of ministries and ministers.”

He said under the ousted Barisan Nasional administration, former prime minister Najib Razak created ministerial posts “more out of the need to reward certain people for their political allegiance other than the need to work for the country and the people”.

“That’s why you see 10 ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department.” – May 19, 2018.