Top Pakatan Harapan leaders are likely to discuss a Cabinet reshuffle when they meet tonight, where they are expected to announce a date for Anwar Ibrahim’s appointment as the eighth prime minister as previously agreed by the coalition, according to two leaders of the coalition who asked to remain unnamed.
“The topic of a Cabinet reshuffle is on the table,” one of them told FMT.
They said the meeting, a prelude to a presidential council session, would be attended by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and Mahathir’s deputy, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The attendance of Wan Azizah, who is not a member of the presidential council, is an indication that the subject of a Cabinet reshuffle may be raised.
The sources said Mahathir had invited her to the meeting.
“Of course, Mahathir can legally reshuffle the Cabinet without telling anyone, but he may in principle ask for their agreement,” said one of them.
He also said the meeting might discuss a plan for transferring power from Mahathir to Anwar if any of the attendees were to raise the subject. However, it was not on the agenda, he said.
The other source said Mahathir might postpone discussions on the power transfer to a later date.
Both said it was Mahathir who proposed the meeting, adding that this might have been because he felt the need to strengthen his Cabinet and to inform the other leaders of his plans.
The subject of a Cabinet reshuffle has been in the air for several months and speculation has been running rife since Jan 2, when Maszlee Malik quit his post as education minister. – FMT