Paper: KJ to be in cabinet Share

Saturday, 22 May 2010 09:49

KUALA LUMPUR – Chinese daily Kwong Wah has speculated in a report that a Cabinet reshuffle - the second for Premier Najib Abdul Razak - will take place before the June 7 sitting of the Dewan Rakyat.
According to the newspaper, Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabeery would likely be replaced by Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin who has over the past two years, positioned himself as a moderate and capable leader who is in touch with the youths.
A reshuffle is inevitable as Najib must seek replacements for the post of transport deputy minister, left vacant by the late Robert Lau.The Women, Family and Community Development deputy minister's post is also vacant, after the resignation of Chew Mei Fun."Following the Sibu by-election, we believe that the prime minister will reshuffle his Cabinet in a week or two, so that his new team can get to work immediately," read the Kwong Wah report, quoting sources.The daily, quoting a source from the Prime Minister's Department, BN component parties have already submitted the list of nominees to the premier.
Quoting sources from MCA, it said party president Dr Chua Soi Lek has not suggested any changes to the four Cabinet positions currently held by party leaders.The four are Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, Local Government and Housing Minister Kong Cho Har, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai and Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen.
Of the four, Ong and Kong no longer hold any elected positions in the party and traditionally, would have been dropped by the party as nominees for Cabinet positions.

Wee to be dropped?
However, Ong is expected to be retained because his clean no-nonsense image and popularity with the Chinese voters are an asset to Najib's reform efforts while Kong is Chua's right hand man."Unless the premier wants to drop Ong (then he has to go). But it is understood that he has no such intentions," said the source.According to to the Kwong Wah report, MCA leaders are also trying to convince Najib to allow MCA to take helm of the more prominent Domestic Trade, Co-operatives And Consumerism Ministry in exchange for the Tourism Ministry.For MCA's lineup of six deputy ministers, only two changes are expected.
Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Wee Jeck Seng is expected to be dropped while a replacement is needed for the position of Women, Family and Community Development deputy minister, left vacant by Chew Mei Fun.Chew resigned from the post, along with her party position as Wanita chief, following the election of the sex-scandal tainted Chua as party president.The party is expected to nominate Gelang Patah MP Tan Ah Eng, who is currently MCA Wanita deputy chief, to fill Chew's shoes.Wee, despite being an elected MCA central committee member, is expected to be dropped because he is a staunch support of Chua's rival Ong Ka Ting.With the nomination of MCA vice-presidents Gan Ping Sieu and Donald Lim as senators, it is possible that either one would replace Wee.Meanwhile, the Kwong Woh report also speculates that two Cabinet ministers and three deputy ministers from Umno would be dropped in the upcoming reshuffle.
Ministers expected to be dropped are Noh Omar (Agriculture and Agro-based Industry) and Ismail Saabri Yaacob (Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism).Those slated for promotions are Deputy Finance Minister Awang Adek, Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Hamzah Zainuddin and Defence Deputy Minister Abdul Latiff Ahmad

Source from : http://www.malaysianmirror.com/