PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob walks a thin line.
In any attempt to give his Cabinet a new look, he will have to strike a fine balance between pleasing his Umno colleagues and retaining the support of his Bersatu allies.
It would also hinge upon his negotiating skills. For instance, as Universiti Malaya political analyst Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi pointed out, he would have to persuade Bersatu to give up one or two Cabinet positions in exchange for the post of deputy prime minister.
On a visit to a flood relief centre in Alor Gajah on Tuesday, Ismail Sabri had told reporters that there were no immediate plans for a reshuffle.
Nonetheless, it has not stopped the rumour mill from turning.
When he inherited the premiership from Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in August, he retained almost all the Cabinet members.
However, there have been talks that at least two of them, both from Bersatu, will be dropped. They are Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Woman Family and Community Development Miniter Datuk Seri Rina Harun in exchange for appointing either Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali or Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin as deputy prime minister.
Both Azmin and Hamzah are Bersatu representatives in the Dewan Rakyat.
Awang Azman sees Azmin as the frontrunner for the job although Hamzah too has strong support in Bersatu.
He said the two ministers expected to be dropped have been seen as failing to do their best especially in response to the recent floods.
He said they would likely be replaced by Umno MPs who are in Ismail Sabri’s camp.
Awang Azman said Ismail Sabri must also ensure that those he picked were supportive of the Umno agenda.
“Many Umno ministers have been promoting better ties with Bersatu, which is seen as not in line with the party’s agenda,” he told theSun.
However, he said, real power in Umno lies in the hands of party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Ismail Sabri is vice-president.
As prime minister Ismail Sabri must ensure his choices are beneficial to both Umno and Bersatu, he added.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia geostrategist Dr Azmi Hassan said that while this is not a good time for a Cabinet shake-up Ismail Sabri may be forced to do it to placate his Umno colleagues who are not happy with the government.
“The dissatisfaction has always been there but it came to the fore during the floods as the federal government was seen to be ineffective,” he told theSun.
Azmi said the decision to appoint a deputy prime minister could be an attempt to change the public perception of the government.
He agreed that Azmin is the frontrunner if Ismail Sabri decides to appoint a deputy, although Hamzah is not far behind.
Azmi said Ismail Sabri would have to take into consideration the views of both Umno and Bersatu in the choices he would be making. “He has to ensure that he does not antagonise either party,” he said.
He added that if it comes down to giving Umno an additional seat in the Cabinet, Ismail Sabri would be forced to pick one who would make it a priority to further the party’s agenda over improving ties with Bersatu.
