TALKS of cabinet reshuffles are always fodder for good gossip on chat groups; and coffee shops and newsroom talk – who is performing; who is not performing. Who has the prime minister’s confidence. Who does not.
Also, there are at times questions as to what message the prime minister is sending by retaining ministers who have either not performed well or drawn controversy to themselves.
Then there is the need to consolidate warring factions in the party – either by removing a minister or two or appointing someone who is not seen as having the back of the prime minister.
A case of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer? Speaking of the former, there could be loyalists who could be sacrificed for the greater good.
These could be a performing minister, loyal to the prime minister but yet need to make way for some form of expediency.
Also, in the unique case of the unprecedented unity government, there are more concessions that need to be made than in previous administrations.
The prime minister may have to favour candidates from other parties at the expense of some of his party members.
Like it or not, he is also now dragged into the political shenanigans of other political parties that make up the unity government. He also needs to ensure the leaders of these parties continue to maintain their power and influence in order for him to deliver his promises as prime minister.
Also, he may have to give in to the demands of his coalition partners to put in place a “president’s man” instead of his preferred choice.
As such the removal of a minister may not be an indictment of his or her performance, but rather a pragmatic move to keep the peace and ensure the delivery plans for the next four years are not scuttled.
Similarly, he could decide to appoint someone who does not rank highly in his party but can give a boost of confidence to the public, civil servants and investors by helming crucial ministries.
In fact, he could appoint a technocrat. A corporate figure with zero political affiliations. Health, Education, Finance and Home come to mind.
One does not want to jump on the speculative bandwagon. Many names have been bandied about since the state elections in August. And every week since then there was talk of an announcement of a cabinet reshuffle that fizzled out by the end of the week.
Similarly with today’s announcement, it is still a guessing game if there is going to be a minor reshuffle involving a handful of ministries or a major one with four to six changes; splitting up portfolios; decommissioning a ministry due to redundancy; and even the entry of a menteri besar into the federal cabinet.
Palace sources say the swearing-in ceremony at 2.30pm is expected to be a busy affair.
Pertinently, whoever Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim brings in or drops from his cabinet is immaterial if, at the end of the day, the civil service he depends on to deliver the mandate is not on board.
The civil service can make or break an administration. They can facilitate or they can frustrate. Worse, they can sabotage.
It does not matter if he gets the smartest person to head the Economy Ministry for instance. If the officers under this ministry decide they will not cooperate they can just fold their arms and allow working papers and approvals to stew in the bowels of bureaucratic hell.
The prime minister realises this; which is why this past year he has been making an effort to get the support of the public sector. From small but meaningful gestures such as moving the monthly assembly indoors instead of standing in the sun for an hour to an increase in salaries next year.
The ministers he appoints should be well versed in the inner workings of the civil service and know how to navigate these real corridors of power which have their own political affiliations and preferences.
The deft use of the carrot and stick in addressing morale, malaise, incompetence and corruption will eventually be the yardstick of the success of this administration.
Just like his cabinet, the prime minister needs to be courageous and practical in having to make certain changes to improve the delivery system.
If this means demoting senior officials, transferring them or sending them to the pool – as was actively done under the administration of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi through the then chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan – then so be it.
As the first leader of a unity government – a coalition of former adversaries that remarkably has been working well together – the prime minister has a vast choice of capable deputy prime ministers and ministers whom he can call upon to ensure that the work of the past one year is not in vain and the tangible effects can be felt and enjoyed by the rakyat.
And this includes calling on their experience, skills and smarts to get the full support of the civil servants to ensure the success of this Madani government. – December 12, 2023
Terence Fernandez is Group Editor in Chief of Big Boom Media which publishes Scoop