Speculation rife Cabinet reshuffle after Hari Raya
The PM’s prerogative and discretionary powers are not absolute and unfettered
(Free Malaysia Today) – Speculation is rife in the media, sparked off initially by blogs and on Friday by a “speculative” report in the Umno-owned New Straits Times that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, exercising his prerogative and discretionary powers, was likely to reshuffle the Cabinet after Hari Raya.
Najib is reportedly meeting on Friday night with Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders. The meeting is unlikely to touch on the Cabinet reshuffle but, it’s said, the meet would be the first briefing on the 1MDB scandal for coalition leaders.
The reports on the Cabinet reshuffle, quoting anonymous sources, were likely to keep Umno Ministers in particular on edge during the fasting month. “Najib is playing the cards close to his chest,” said a source. “He hasn’t revealed anything so far, not even to people known to be close to him.”
“He may want to rattle quite a few of the Umno Ministers who, he suspects, may be secretly expecting to see the back of him soon.”
At least two Umno Ministers are said to be on the chopping block, some dropped for being deadwood and annoying other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, while some may be involved in an exchange of portfolios.
It’s not known how the rumours and speculation on the Cabinet reshuffle, initially said to be imminent, started.
It may be related to Najib giving his Cabinet members an ultimatum during a recent meeting where the 1MDB Road Map was presented and the fact that he has seen little support from them in the face of daily attacks against him by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Apparently unhappy that the Cabinet members remained silent when the 1MDB Road Map was presented, he told them that he would “understand if they felt uncomfortable with the Road Map”. In that case, he said, he “expected them to do the honourable thing and resign”.
During the time of Mahathir Mohamad as Prime Minister, pointed out one source, all rumours on Cabinet reshuffles were eventually proven true. “The rumours reportedly started deliberately by people in the know and at the very top, were a kind of psy war to prepare the ground and public opinion for changes.”
“Information was released in bits and pieces, denied, dismissed, subsequently qualified and then confirmed to a certain extent.”
