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Abdullah sticks to power-sharing formula

SINGAPORE: Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday unveiled his post-election ministerial line-up by adhering to the existing formula of his coalition for power-sharing among the Malays, ethnic Chinese, and the people of Indian origin.

Asserting that he secured a “strong mandate” in the March 8 snap poll and enjoyed “the best of relationship” with the leader-in-waiting, Mohd. Najib Tun Razak, who was reappointed Deputy Prime Minister with Defence portfolio, Mr. Abdullah kept Finance with himself.

Syed Hamid Albar was elevated to Home from Foreign Affairs, now given to Rais Yatim. Streamline mergers were effected among several ministries, and long-time Trade Ministerr Rafidah Aziz was dropped. While there were no major surprises among the appointees from the elected ethnic Chinese and the Indian-origin people, Human Resources was assigned to S. Subramaniam as Cabinet Minister. With the exit of long-time Works Minister and Malaysian Indian Congress president Samy Vellu, who lost his parliamentary seat, Dr. Subramaniam’s was seen as a key portfolio. Three other ethnic Indians — S. K. Devamany, M. Saravanan, and A. Kohilan Pillay — were made Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, the Federal Territories Ministry, and the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, respectively.

Political observers regard these appointments as particularly important in the context of the recent unrest over the alleged “marginalisation” of ethnic Indians in such spheres as human resources development and the plantations. Mr. Devamany’s induction into the Prime Minister’s Department is also seen against Mr. Abdullah’s pre-poll commitment to form a departmental panel to safeguard the interests of ethnic minorities. And, unlike the others, Mr. Pillay is a nominated Senator; and his political association with Gerakan, an ethnic-Chinese-linked party in the coalition, is viewed as an acceptance of the emerging multiracial trends.

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