Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s new cabinet is a “disappointment”, because it is no different from former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s cabinet, Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.
Dr Mahathir, who was the country’s longest-serving prime minister, said Ismail had appointed the same people despite their poor performance the first time around.
“I’m disappointed. There is no change, just the same.
“The same people have been appointed although they didn’t show any achievement while with Muhyiddin,” he said today in a livestream post.
The Langkawi MP added that though there are new faces like Shahidan Kassim, who was appointed federal territories minister, he still had doubts whether the newcomer could perform.
“There are people like Shahidan who only know how to talk, but don’t get the job done.”
Dr Mahathir added that there has been too much emphasis on politics and not on how to control the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I find that there is no emphasis on how to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases.
“The cases are going up, but we are busy talking about politics and whether to work with the opposition etc.
“There is nothing about the people’s suffering, the deaths, no action on this,” he said.
Earlier today, Ismail unveiled a 30-member cabinet made up mostly of those who served under Muhyiddin.
He also took a page out of Muhyiddin’s book and did not appoint a deputy prime minister. Instead, there are four senior ministers, also from the previous administration: International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Works Minister Fadillah Yusof and Education Minister Mohd Radzi Jidin. – TMI