ANWAR Ibrahim has picked a cabinet and a line-up of deputy ministers that are well balanced in terms of party, geographical, gender and ethnic representation, analysts said.

They told The Malaysian Insight that cabinet composition was solid and help the prime minister pass a confidence vote in the Dewan Rakyat when it convenes on December 19.

Last night in a live telecast, Anwar unveiled a list of 27 deputy ministers to complement the cabinet.

lham Centre executive director Hisommudin Bakar said Anwar had boldly appointed new names to his cabinet.

He said Anwar had named several Sabah-based lawmakers, including one from Warisan, to showcase the diverse ethnicities of parliamentarians.

“It is a good composition. It is quite balanced as you have representatives from the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

“Moreover, there are quite a few new and young faces and first-time MPs. It is a good opportunity for them to learn,” said Hisomuddin.

Geostrategist Dr Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said with the balanced ethnic composition, Anwar’s unity government has better chances of completing its full five-year term.

“With the balanced numbers of MPs from peninsula and Borneo, Anwar can walk into the Dewan Rakyat with full confidence.

“There were political factors that Anwar had to consider and he did a good job of choosing the line-up. His government can complete its full term,” said the academic.

No cause for Umno, DAP to complain

Dr Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said Anwar has accorded the important portfolios of deputy prime minister and deputy finance minister to Umno.

DAP has also been given good seats in the cabinet, he said.

“Ahmad Maslan and Shamsul Anuar (Nasarah) shouldn’t be complaining as they are appointed as deputy ministers of finance and defense respectively.

“Even though Lim Guan Eng was not named in the cabinet, DAP is represented via Ramkarpal Singh (deputy law), Teo Nie Ching (deputy digital communications), Liew Chin Tong (deputy international trade and industry) and Lim Hui Ying (deputy education).

“Sabah MPs were also not left out. Overall, the balance is quite right and good on paper. This is a unity government,” said Mazlan.

In his line-up yesterday, Anwar announced Barisan Nasional’s Pontian lawmaker Ahmad Maslan and Pakatan Harapan’s Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim as his deputy finance ministers.

He named Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal the deputy law minister, while Iskandar Puteri MP Liew Chin Tong, who was deputy defence minister in the previous PH government, is deputy international trade and industry minister.

First-time MP and PKR youth chief Adam Adli Abd Halim is deputy youth and sports minister.

From Sabah, Arthur Joseph Kurup, who won the Pensiangan seat, is the deputy science, technology and innovation minister.

The 27 deputy ministers will be sworn in at 3pm today.

On December 2, Anwar named BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi one of two deputy prime ministers. The other DPM is Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s Fadillah Yusof.

In a surprise move, the prime minister also appointed Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, who lost the fight for the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat, to the cabinet as the international trade and industry minister.

He appointed PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who failed to defend the Kulim Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat, as home minister.

BN secretary-general Zambry Abd Kadir, who failed to win the Lumut parliamentary seat, is foreign minister.

They were made senators to facilitate the appointments. – December 10, 2022.