The Cabinet reshuffle yesterday had seen Hannah Yeoh appointed as federal territories minister and Tawau MP Lo Su Fui (GRS) as her deputy. DAP deputy chairman Nga Kor Ming was retained as the housing and local government minister.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan claimed that concentrating urban power in the hands of leaders from the same ethnicity and political party could raise questions about an imbalance of power and the direction of the nation’s administration.
He also said the move could allow a single party to shape urban policies, as well as manage land and housing matters, without effective and transparent checks and balances.
“Such a concentration of power is bound to create serious public unease, especially with controversial initiatives such as the proposed Urban Redevelopment Act.
“The Act is seen as potentially marginalising certain urban communities, particularly the Malays and low-income groups, including through the potential loss of their property rights,” he said in a statement.
He said there were also concerns that the Act could widen disputes between communities and regions, eroding national unity in the long term.
Takiyuddin also said there was a widespread perception that yesterday’s appointments were not based on merit or policy needs, but because of political pressure.
He said this included speculation over DAP’s renewed push for Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) recognition.
“If Cabinet positions are used to maintain the support and loyalty of any party … this is clearly a serious erosion of principled governance and institutions,” he said, adding that it weakened the integrity of the national policy-making and legislative process.
PAS should be more constructive, says DAP Youth
DAP Youth condemned Takiyuddin’s statement, saying PAS’s “deliberate attempt to inflame racial sentiment” was not only regressive but also a desperate bid to stir unproductive polemics that undermine the country’s harmony.
DAP Youth secretary Lim Chun Weng said that questioning public appointments on the basis of race constitutes discrimination and runs counter to national unity and Malaysia’s principles.
“As an opposition bloc that often promotes the slogan ‘mature and responsible politics’, PAS should act as a constructive critic,” said Lim.
“The focus should be on checks and balances regarding the effectiveness of policies and their economic impact on the people, not recycling racial rhetoric that only deepens societal divisions.”
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet overhaul yesterday was his second since forming the unity government. It involved 10 new ministers, 18 deputy ministers, and 14 ministers reassigned to different portfolios.