Shahrir Samad, who had held several Cabinet posts, said it cannot be denied that Umno leaders serving as ministers in the Anwar Ibrahim-led unity government are performing better and more effectively compared with those from DAP and PKR, Utusan Malaysia reported.
“This is because Umno leaders are trained and shaped through a grassroots leadership development process, rising through the ranks over time,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with the daily.
In contrast, he said, many leaders from PKR and DAP lack such experience.
He cited how DAP leaders may have been in politics for a longer period and were expected to be more seasoned, but still fell short.
Giving Lim Guan Eng as an example, Shahrir said the former DAP chairman did not always “reflect maturity or wisdom in leadership” both as finance minister and Penang chief minister.
“PKR leaders, in particular, have no real governing experience. So, when they are appointed ministers, the country ends up in disarray,” he said.
“We even have situations where (their) ministers want to resign but first take leave, as if a political post was a corporate job that requires a three-month notice period. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of political office.
“If you intend to resign, just resign. There’s no need to take leave,” he said, claiming that the prime minister’s decision to find a replacement or reshuffle the Cabinet was stalled because of such ministers taking leave.
PKR’s Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli resigned as the economy minister after he lost the party deputy presidency to Nurul Izzah Anwar last month.
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the Setiawangsa MP, also let go of his natural resources and environmental sustainability portfolio after he failed to defend his PKR vice-presidency.
Both submitted their resignation letters on May 28 and went on leave – with Rafizi’s leave ending on June 16, and Nik Nazmi’s on July 3.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had expressed hope that the duo would reconsider their resignations, but both remained steadfast in their decisions.