Malaysian PM Anwar's new Cabinet line-up clouded by controversies

Reshuffle sparks debate about vetting, political sensitivity, governance standards

- Muzliza Mustafa Malaysia Correspondent

Just days after Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled his reshuffled Cabinet, the new lineup has come under fire over a growing list of controversial appointments.

From allegations involving a deputy minister overseeing religious affairs, Madam Marhamah Rosli, to questions over the qualifications of the youth and sports minister, Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, the controversies have sparked public debate about vetting, political sensitivity and governance standards.

The reshuffle came in the wake of the Sabah state elections, where Datuk Seri Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition suffered a drubbing, underscoring persistent challenges in consolidating support in East Malaysia and adding pressure on the federal leadership to recalibrate its governing team.

The Dec 16 reshuffle has also put Ms Hannah Yeoh in the spotlight following her appointment to head the Federal Territories Ministry, a portfolio that oversees Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

The post has traditionally been held by Malay ministers. Her appointment and that of her ethnic Chinese deputy, Datuk Lo Su Fui from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), have drawn criticism from right-wing Malay nationalists and opposition lawmakers.

Ms Yeoh is the first ethnic Chinese politician to hold the post since Kuala Lumpur was declared a Federal Territory in 1976.

Her Cabinet colleague, newly appointed entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister Steven Sim, also from the Chinese-led Democratic Action Party (DAP), like Ms Yeoh, has drawn flak from certain quarters as well. Among these was Tan Sri Noh Omar, a former UMNO stalwart and six-time MP who held that federal-level post from 2021 to 2022, who raised concerns that Mr Sim's appointment would sideline the bumiputera community.

Bumiputera is an umbrella term that refers to the Malay majority and other indigenous minority groups.