KUCHING: The Cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim appeared to give Sarawak and Sabah greater leverage within the federal administration, reflecting a strategic emphasis on East Malaysian representation.
Political analyst, Prof. James Chin, said the appointment of more Sarawakian and Sabahan ministers and deputy ministers suggested the Prime Minister wanted stronger political weight from the two Borneo states, particularly following recent political developments in Sabah.
Chin, who is a Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, said the inclusion of two new appointments from Sarawak and one from Sabah was a notable aspect of the reshuffle, even though the overall exercise did not amount to a major Cabinet overhaul.
“There are a lot of Sarawakians and Sabahans in the administration, and they had better deliver for the whole country because West Malaysians have always looked down on people from Sabah and Sarawak.
“If the Sarawak and Sabah ministers and deputy ministers do not deliver, it will reflect very badly on Sabahans and Sarawakians,” he said when contacted.
Chin said, however, that the reshuffle should be viewed as a limited exercise rather than a major reconfiguration of the Cabinet.
He described it as a “mini reshuffle”, noting that there were no significant new ministerial appointments, with most of the changes involving deputy ministers.
“At most, it is a mini reshuffle. There was no major bringing in of new people, except for two ministers. Most of the changes were at the deputy minister level,” he said.
Chin added that the Prime Minister’s immediate priority appeared to be economic delivery, pointing to portfolio adjustments aimed at addressing pressing administrative and governance challenges.
He cited the reassignment of Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani to the economically focused Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry, as well as the placement of Hannah Yeoh as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Federal Territories, amid ongoing issues in Kuala Lumpur.
“Kuala Lumpur is facing serious problems following the removal of the mayor. Everybody knows there are major issues in Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), so she is probably there to clean things up,” he said.
On federal-state relations, Chin said the reshuffle was unlikely to result in any significant change, given its limited scope.
“I don’t see this as a major reshuffle. It will not really change federal-state relations,” he said.
Chin also dismissed the view that the changes reflected a broader shift towards inclusivity, reiterating that the Cabinet line-up remained largely intact.
“In some ways, it’s not really about inclusiveness. There is no major reshuffle, so I see it more as a minor adjustment rather than a reset,” he said.
