Rombakan: Umno kukuh, pengaruh DAP pudar

ROMBAKAN jemaah menteri terbaharu kabinet Perdana Menteri Datu Seri Anwar Ibrahim mencerminkan satu penyesuaian semula yang menyaksikan kedudukan Umno lebih kuat, manakala DAP dilihat kehilangan pengaruh.

Azmi Hassan dari Akademi Nusantara menyifatkan kedudukan DAP dalam rombakan Jemaah Menteri itu umpama turun taraf.

“Ya, Loke Siew Fook kekal sebagai menteri pengangkutan, tetapi Steven Sim diberikan portfolio yang lebih kecil,” katanya kepada FMT, merujuk kepada pertukaran Sim daripada Kementerian Sumber Manusia ke Kementerian Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi.

“Tidak mengejutkan apabila DAP diturun taraf kerana parti itu dilihat terlalu banyak buat tuntutan, khususnya mengenai Sijil Peperiksaan Bersepadu (UEC), sedangkan ia dalam kedudukan yang lemah.”

Sebaliknya, Azmi berkata rombakan tersebut menunjukkan kedudukan Umno semakin kuat.

“Bagi Umno, ini adalah satu peningkatan, khususnya apabila Datuk Seri Johari Ghani mengambil alih Kementerian Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri, yang merupakan portfolio penting. Ini adalah satu pengiktirafan terhadap Umno,” katanya.

“(Datuk Seri) Noraini (Ahmad) juga telah dinaikkan pangkat menjadi menteri penuh (memegang portfolio perladangan dan komoditi).”

Rombakan Jemaah Menteri oleh Anwar, yang kedua sejak membentuk kerajaan perpaduan, melibatkan 10 menteri baharu, 18 timbalan menteri, dan 14 menteri yang dipindahkan ke portfolio berbeza.

Selain jawatan baharu Johari, perubahan penting lain termasuk Ahli Parlimen Johor Bahru Akmal Nasrullah Nasir sebagai menteri ekonomi yang baharu, serta Hannah Yeoh sebagai menteri wilayah persekutuan.

James Chin dari Universiti Tasmania berkata perubahan yang melibatkan tokoh DAP boleh dilihat secara meluas sebagai satu mesej kepada pengundi Melayu.

“Pemindahan menteri-menteri DAP hanya boleh dibaca sebagai isyarat kepada orang Melayu di peringkat akar umbi bahawa Anwar sedang mengukuhkan pendiriannya terhadap wakil-wakil Cina dan mendorong kehadiran Melayu yang lebih kuat dalam kerajaan,” katanya.

“Ini semua bertujuan untuk memenangi hati pengundi Melayu menjelang PRU akan datang.”

Azizuddin Sani dari Universiti Utara Malaysia berkata Anwar berhati-hati dalam mengurus keseimbangan kumpulan dalam PKR, khususnya selepas Rafizi Ramli melepaskan portfolio ekonomi susulan kekalahannya sebagai timbalan presiden dalam pemilihan parti pada Mei.

“Ia jelas menunjukkan kem Rafizi masih diberikan ruang. Ini menunjukkan perdana menteri bersikap terbuka dan tidak meminggirkan mana-mana kumpulan,” katanya.

“Pelantikan tokoh seperti Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (yang dilihat selari dengan Rafizi) sebagai timbalan menteri menunjukkan bahawa perdana menteri tidak mahu PKR berpecah. Sebaliknya, beliau cuba membina perpaduan dan merapatkan saf dalam parti.”

Awang Azman Pawi dari Universiti Malaya berkata rombakan tersebut turut mencerminkan keprihatinan untuk mengelakkan Sabah dan Sarawak dipinggirkan.

“Sebagai contoh, seorang ahli DAP Sarawak dilantik sebagai timbalan menteri persekutuan walaupun parti itu merupakan pembangkang di Sarawak,” katanya, merujuk kepada pelantikan Ahli Parlimen Mas Gading, Mordi Bimol, sebagai timbalan menteri belia dan sukan.

“Ini bagi mengelakkan pemimpin Pakatan Harapan di Sarawak berasa dipinggirkan dalam rombakan tersebut, terutamanya dengan PRN Sarawak yang dijangka berlangsung pada penghujung tahun depan.”

 

 

Reshuffle: Umno gained, DAP lost ground

POLITICAL analysts say Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s latest Cabinet reshuffle reflects a recalibration that has left Umno in a stronger position while DAP appears to have lost influence.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara described the outcome for DAP as an unsurprising downgrade.

“Yes, Loke Siew Fook remains as transport minister, but Steven Sim was given a smaller portfolio,” he told FMT, referring to Sim’s reassignment from the human resources ministry to the entrepreneur and cooperatives development ministry.

“DAP’s downgrade is no surprise because it has been asking for a lot, especially on Unified Examination Certificate recognition.”

In contrast, Azmi said the reshuffle demonstrated that Umno’s position had strengthened.

“For Umno, it is a deliberate upward move, especially Johari Ghani taking over the investment, trade and industry ministry, which is an important portfolio. This is a recognition of Umno,” he said.

“Noraini (Ahmad) has also been promoted to full minister (holding the commodities and plantation portfolio).”

Anwar’s Cabinet overhaul, his second since forming the unity government, involved 10 new ministers, 18 deputy ministers, and 14 ministers reassigned to different portfolios.

Besides Johari’s new position, notable changes include Johor Bahru MP Akmal Nasrullah Nasir as the new economy minister, as well as Hannah Yeoh as the federal territories minister.

James Chin of University of Tasmania said the changes involving DAP figures could be widely seen as a message to Malay voters.

“The shifting of DAP ministers can only be read as sending a signal to the Malays on the ground that Anwar is hardening his stance towards the Chinese representatives and pushing for a stronger Malay presence in government,” he said.

“This is all about pleasing Malay voters for the upcoming general election.”

Universiti Utara Malaysia’s Azizuddin Sani said Anwar had been careful to manage factional balance within PKR, particularly after Rafizi Ramli gave up the economy portfolio following his defeat as deputy president during the party polls in May.

“It is clear that Rafizi’s camp is still given space. This shows that the prime minister is open and is not sidelining any group,” he said.

“The appointment of figures such as Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (seen as aligned with Rafizi) as a deputy minister shows that the prime minister does not want PKR to split along factional lines. Instead, he is trying to build unity and close ranks within the party.”

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi said the reshuffle also reflected care to avoid marginalising Sabah and Sarawak.

“A member of Sarawak DAP, for example, was appointed as a federal deputy minister even though it is an opposition party in Sarawak,” he said, referring to Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol’s appointment as deputy youth and sports minister.

“This avoids Pakatan Harapan leaders in Sarawak feeling sidelined in the reshuffle, especially with the Sarawak state election expected at the end of next year.”