PAKATAN Harapan will continue to criticise the new government if there is no significant effort to tackle Covid-19 and lift the economy, said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In a live Facebook post, the Port Dickson MP slammed the new cabinet, saying that it was recycled from the previous government.

“The people, as we see on social media, have expressed their disappointment. They say this cabinet is an old cabinet. Indeed, this new line-up is a disappointment.

“For a year and a half, the previous government was given the opportunity to combat Covid-19.

“However, the then ministers were not able to curb the spread of the virus.

“We, in the opposition bloc, will continue to condemn the government if there is no effort to improve the situation,” Anwar said during the live session today.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced his cabinet of 30 ministers today, to help with his administration. He seems intent on continuing with the experiment of four senior ministers and no deputy prime minister. 

He also retained almost all the same faces from Muhyiddin Yassin’s cabinet, swapping portfolios for some, but including only a few new names.

The four senior ministers remained the same as in the previous administration: International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Works Minister Fadillah Yusof and Education Minister Mohd Radzi Jidin.

“Surely, the new cabinet will not be able to give confidence to investors in or out of the country,” Anwar said.

Political pundits were also dismayed, saying Ismail Sabri did not have the influence to bring change.

They added that they were not surprised with the Bera MP’s cabinet list, branding the cabinet Perikatan Nasional 2.0. – August 27, 2021.