DAP disappointed with Ismail’s ‘recycled’ Cabinet

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has criticised Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Cabinet line-up, two days after pledging to work with the government in finding common ground to lower the country’s political temperature.

Lim, the Bagan MP, said the new Cabinet announced by Ismail this morning was nearly identical to that of the previous government.

“The return of the recycled Cabinet of the previously failed Perikatan Nasional government will put into doubt the commitment of the new prime minister not only towards winning the battle against Covid-19 and the economic crisis,” he said.

“It will also raise scrutiny on whether Ismail is genuine about undertaking concrete institutional reforms to protect our democratic and constitutional rights as expressed during the meeting with Pakatan Harapan’s three top leaders two days ago.”

On Wednesday, Lim joined PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and Amanah leader Mohamad Sabu in signing a rare joint statement with the prime minister pledging to finding common ground.

The three opposition leaders also endorsed Ismail’s “Malaysian Family” concept which he introduced in his maiden speech as prime minister last week.

Following their meeting, Anwar indicated that the opposition would not “complicate matters” for Ismail in the event of a vote of confidence in the prime minister.

Lim today said the Cabinet line-up had disappointed “many who expected some fresh faces to find new solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic recession”.

“The current government must stop the previous failures of double standards in enforcement, policy flip-flops, U-turns in SOPs and vaccination delivery delays, and implement robust testing programmes and mass screenings,” he said.

“A recycled Cabinet is no different from putting old wine in a new bottle that raises scepticism over whether there are new solutions for the Covid-19 pandemic and economic crisis as well as sufficient room for progressive institutional reforms.”