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Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's appointment of Barisan Nasional Chairman Zahid Hamidi as his deputy has proven controversial, with former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin accusing Anwar of compromising his reform agenda.
Muhyiddin: "most disappointing cabinet line-up in M'sia's history"
Muhyiddin, who is the leader of the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition, has accused Anwar on Dec. 2 of pawning the principles of good governance as preached during the election campaign with Zahid's appointment.
According to Malaysiakini, Muhyiddin posted on Facebook a stinging invective that said that the new cabinet has the "most disappointing cabinet line-up in the country's history".
He also called Zahid a kleptocrat, referencing the 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering that the new DPM is still facing trial for.
Muhyiddin further called Anwar's appointment of Zahid as an act "akin to selling the country's dignity so that he can remain the prime minister".
He asked how the people and investors could trust Anwar's leadership, and accused him of lying about his "anti-graft, institutional reform, and people's welfare agenda", saying that agenda now "rings hollow".
Muhyiddin went even further, saying that the cabinet had also appointed Members of Parliament who were known for "extreme chauvinism" as ministers, without naming specific MPs.
Muhyiddin was PM from 2020 to 2021.
Initially part of Anwar's PH government under the premiership of Mahathir Mohammad, he then participated in political maneuvering that allowed him to ally Zahid's BN in order to become PM.
He was then in turn ousted in 2021 when Zahid's BN, his governing partner, forced him to resign and be replaced by UMNO vice president Ismail Sabri.
Zahid: Be more like the DAP
Zahid hit back today (Dec. 4) , saying that Muhyiddin did not respect the royal institution, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
Referencing a statement made by Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary general Anthony Loke, Zahid told Muhyiddin to be like the DAP and put the interests of the country ahead of the party and individuals.
The DAP, a critical member of Anwar's PH coalition, received four cabinet positions.
This is despite it, at 40 seats, being the largest individual party in the government and the second largest in parliament.
According to the Malay Mail, Loke said that he had placed his trust in Anwar, and had told him that the "DAP was willing to sacrifice anything" as long as Anwar could become PM, saying that he did not want the party to become a "stumbling block" to the formation of a government.
Loke also said that despite that, Anwar had insisted that the DAP be part of the cabinet, albeit with only four ministers.
Loke also said that while some party members might not be satisfied with this outcome, the party's struggle was not "for position but for the country", and that the party would do its best.
Zahid said that Muhyiddin and his allies needed to respect the "process and the decisions of the Agong and the Council of Malay Rulers". He should also learn to be a credible opposition instead of "whining and complaining".
Former minister: Bottom of a generally acceptable barrel
However, Muhyiddin is not the only person voicing dissatisfaction with the appointment.
According to the New Straits Times, former International Trade and Industry Minister during Mahathir's first premiership and BN veteran Rafidah Aziz criticised Zahid's appointment.
Warning of difficulty ahead if Zahid was to be convicted of his multiple charges, she questioned the need to appoint him as DPM, considering that there were now two DPMs.
She also questioned the appointment of Tengku Zafrul as her successor several times removed.
Zafrul, the former Finance Minister, lost his election, meaning that in order for him to retain his position in cabinet, he would need to be appointed as a senator. This is similar to how he was able to take up the Finance Minister role in the previous government.
Saying that the appointment was bad optics, it resembled "scraping the bottom of the barrel" and lacked credibility.
However, the overall tone of her message remained complimentary, albeit somewhat grudgingly, saying that the Anwar had performed an important balancing act, and had come up with a "generally ACCEPTABLE, and Credible CABINET" (emphasis hers).
Background
Anwar, leader of the governing Pakatan Harapan coalition, announced his new cabinet in the evening of Dec. 2.
In it, he named Zahid as Deputy Prime Minister, as well as Rural and Regional Development Minister.
PH was the best performing coalition in Nov. 19's general election, also known as GE15, but at 82 seats was unable to secure a governing majority of 112 seats out of a 222 seat parliament.
Malaysia's King, or Yang di-Pertuan Agong, nonetheless appointed Anwar as PM after negotiations with Zahid's BN and Gabungan Parti Sarawak bore fruit, with both parties backing him.
Zahid's appointment is likely to be a critical part of BN's backing for Anwar's government. However the reason for that backing has mired all parties involved in some controversy.
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Top image via Muhyiddin Yassin/Facebook, Zahid Hamidi/Facebook & Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook