KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has urged today for Umno to be given a fairer representation in the Cabinet, amid what grassroots see as bias towards Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
The Umno Supreme Council member said she would elaborate more on the topic after the party’s council meet, which is happening this afternoon.
“In honouring the spirit of a coalition partnership, don’t we deserve a fairer deal?” she asked on Twitter, referring to Umno.
Citing arithmetic, Azalina said Bersatu MPs only made up 28 per cent of Perikatan Nasional (PN), but gets one prime minister and two senior ministers, referring to Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
Meanwhile, she said Umno only has one senior minister — Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri — despite making up 35 per cent.
Last night, the Pengerang MP said Umno MPs should have been given better portfolios in Muhyiddin’s Cabinet.
In a series of tweets on her Twitter account, Azalina said a coalition government should be proportionate, suggesting that Umno with the most number of MPs in PN should be appointed more senior ranks.
Umno MPs like Khairy Jamaluddin is the new Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein is the new Foreign Minister, and Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba is the new Health Minister, among others.
Previously, Sabah Umno chief Datuk Bung Moktar Radin said the absence of top leaders from the chapter in the new federal Cabinet line-up has caused some unhappiness among the grassroots.
Bung Moktar said he was hoping that at least newly-elected Kimanis MP Datuk Mohamad Alamin would get a deputy minister post given the chapter’s contribution to the party, but the exclusion has caused rumblings from the party’s grassroots.
