The new Sabah Cabinet notably lacked any representative of the state’s youth, women and Chinese community, state DAP Youth chief Ginger Phoong said on the lack of diversity today.
He also criticised Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor for failing to appoint a state health minister given that the state has become a hotbed of Covid-19 infections.
“I am deeply disappointed and worried about the new cabinet line-up that has just been announced, as it doesn’t resemble any form of diversity in Sabah at all,” he said.
“The chief minister has the right to appoint six state assemblymen, similar to the senators to make up the insignificance from the state election results,” Phoong said.
Hajiji could easily have used the six openings for nominated assemblymen to select a representative each from the demographics mentioned to provide them with a voice in his Cabinet, Phoong said.
However, he pointedly noted that Hajiji did not do so.
Phoong also suggested that Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee was not among the nominated assemblymen as a snub of Hajiji for not including a Cabinet post along with the nomination.
“This results in a lack of representation in the Cabinet. The state Cabinet has always resembled diversity, but this new cabinet is completely opposite,” he said.
Phoong also questioned Hajiji’s reasons for going ahead and appointing a state PAS leader as a nominated assemblyman despite misgivings from parts of Sabah.
Among those that have publicly disagreed with including PAS in the state assembly were Gabungan Rakyat Sabah components Parti Bersatu Sabah and STAR.
PAS did not contest any seat in the state election and has never won a poll in the state. Prior to today’s appointment, there had never been a PAS lawmaker in the state assembly.
“Dr Aliakbar Gulasan from PAS has been appointed, and this is the first time ever in Sabah history PAS will enter the assembly.
“This shows that PBS and STAR do not have a say in the government and other local party leaders like Yong Teck Lee has also been criticised for standing together with the religious extremists,” he said.
Phoong went on to criticise the decision to appoint two women leaders as assistant ministers rather than giving them full portfolios. He also noted that the average age of the Sabah Cabinet was 60.
Both decisions failed to take into account the fact that youth and women made up over half the state population, Phoong said when calling it regression from Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s Cabinet and a failure to heed a global trend of increasing youth leadership. – MMO