ONE of the first challenges for any incoming prime minister is the assembly of the cabinet that he will lead during his tenure.

Through his or her choice of cabinet members, we can  determine how the prime minister intends to govern and whether he intends to make sweeping changes or stick with the status quo.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob showed Malaysians on Friday that his government would not be a radical departure from his predecessor’s by making cosmetic changes to his cabinet, keeping many of the same personnel and merely swapping some of the portfolios.

To be fair to Ismail, there is a likelihood that this administration could be slightly more competent that the previous regime even though its composition has been largely unchanged.

The promise that the “winner does not win everything while the loser does not lose everything” from the palace may be construed as a strong rebuke to politicians and a further indication that the monarch does not want another change of administration at least until the next election.

Therefore, there is less likelihood of a Mohamed Azmin Ali betrayal or Ahmad Zahid Hamidi rebellion rupturing a working government.

The king has on more than one occasion publicly stated that a political ceasefire should be pursued during the pandemic and there is a sense in the palace’s statement that the monarchy would very much prefer that the government be found via consensual politics instead destabilisation.

Furthermore, the retaking of Putrajaya has clearly failed on the side of the opposition and any further talks of magic numbers or overthrowing the government would only invite further disdain and backlash, which may harm their future electoral prospects.

Therefore, the Ismail administration is likelier to govern at least until all parties, including the palace and the public, are agreeable to a general election.

This is certainly an improvement from the Muhyiddin Yassin government which was formed in a sudden and haphazard manner and which priority was to prevent its collapse rather than managing the Covid-19 epidemic

Ismail’s administration would not be encumbered by such politicking, at least for now, and perhaps for the first time since the emergence of the coronavirus on our shores, there is a relatively stable government with some semblance of political consensus on solving the pandemic and economic crises.

Having said that, it is a surprise and a disappointment that Ismail has chosen a pretty much unchanged cabinet to see Malaysia through the crises.

Aside from Khairy Jamaluddin’s being reassigned the health portfolio, the cabinet appointments are painfully dull and offer no indication of a genuine change.

It is bewildering enough that Takiyuddin Hassan and Adham Baba, who were derided and ridiculed during the previous administration, have been retained by Ismail Sabri albeit shuffled off to different ministries.

Given that the opposition is ready to offer conditional support to the prime minister, Ismail certainly has much more freedom in the selection of his cabinet.

By picking a cabinet that almost mirrors the previous administration’s, Ismail has done himself no favours in distancing himself from its blunders and maladministration.

The cabinet appointments could also fail to solve the internal dispute between Umno and Bersatu in the Perikatan Nasional coalition government.

Zahid has succeeded in installing an Umno prime minister while the cabinet also reflects the dominance of the party with its MPs helming important ministries, such as rural development and communications and multimedia, which are imperative to ensure state support for the party’s patronage politics.

However, there are grievances, too. Umno’s Najib Razak is of the opinion that the party has no say in economic matters, while Tengkul Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, whose fiscal decisions were constantly criticised by Umno, has been retained as finance minister.

This is one appointment that does not sit well with those who had withdrawn their support for Muhyiddin.

Azmin, who is the constant butt of Umno’s jokes about flip-flopping SOPs, has also been able to keep his job as the senior minister for economic policies.

While Ismail, being first among equals in the cabinet, could always interject and would most likely prevail in policy decisions, it is however striking that Umno has not been put in charge of even one economic or fiscal ministry.

This makes us wonder whether Ismail is being too conservative with his appointments, fearing a backlash from Bersatu, or he lacks the imagination to do things differently.

However, it is premature to lay the sword on the new administration and Ismail, as he has the confidence of the house and therefore, deserves a chance to govern the country.

The politics of appointment is now well and truly over, and despite the criticism, we should also accept in good faith the ministers who have been chosen.

This new administration shall be judged on how quick and efficient they are able to weather the twin crisis and ensure a return of normal life for every Malaysian. – August 29, 2021.

* Kenneth Cheng has always been interested in the interplay between human rights and government but more importantly he is a father of two cats, Tangyuan and Toufu. When he is not attending to his feline matters, he is most likely reading books about politics and human rights or playing video games. He is a firm believer in the dictum “power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will”.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.