KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) communications director Fahmi Fadzil has lashed at Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for condemning Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's new administration as a "kleptocrat cabinet".
Muhyiddin, in a statement today, described Anwar's newly-formed cabinet as "the most disappointing cabinet line-up in the country's history" and chided Anwar for electing those with corruption charges and chauvinistic attitude into his cabinet.
In response, Fahmi stressed that Anwar's administration would not interfere with any court proceedings.
He also reminded Muhyiddin that Anwar made the cabinet appointments after consulting with each party and coalition sitting in the unity government.
"Maybe Muhyiddin forgot that that this is not a PH government, where the prime minister could appoint whoever he wants (into the cabinet). This is a unity government that was established together and all decisions are taken collectively, including the formation of the new cabinet.
"This is a clear departure from the previous administration's practice of not consulting the top leadership of parties when making cabinet appointments. Consequently, certain 'cartels' within a party are weaponised to create 'a party within a party' that eventually erodes the internal stability of a party.
"Taking heed of this, the prime minister and coalition leaders in the unity government agreed that each party will name their own ministerial candidates. So, if Muhyiddin is not satisfied, he should not take it out on the prime minister because Anwar did not name the ministerial candidates from the other parties," he said in a statement today.
Fahmi also asked Muhyiddin to revisit the controversies surrounding the latter's administration, including the 1BestariNet issue and allegations that RM500 billion was spent without parliamentary oversight during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fahmi hinted that these issues "may have to be reviewed in the future".
Anwar, on Friday, named Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who still faces 47 corruption charges, as the deputy prime minister and also as the rural and regional development minister.
