KUALA LUMPUR: The new shadow Cabinet for Perikatan Nasional was announced, but the choice for shadow prime minister was not revealed, causing speculation among the public. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin explained that the new line-up was adjusted to reflect the changes made in the last Cabinet reshuffle on Dec 12.
Hamzah, who is also the Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia secretary-general, did not disclose who the Opposition MP shadowing the Prime Minister would be, but he did note that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin remains the chairman of Perikatan and the eighth PM.
At a media conference on Thursday (Feb 8), Hamzah announced a list of Opposition MPs responsible for various Cabinet portfolios and shadowing the minister and the ministries. He also stated, “The time will come when you will know who is our choice for the Prime Minister for Perikatan (if they win Putrajaya). I do not think we need to announce who is our Prime Minister candidate.”
According to Hamzah, there is no conflict among the parties regarding the choice of PM, and they are working together harmoniously.
Regarding Muhyiddin’s statement about Terengganu Menteri Besar and PAS vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar being a PM candidate for Perikatan, Hamzah avoided the question and talked about the hierarchy of the party instead.
There has been speculation about Ahmad Samsuri being groomed to be the next Perikatan PM, sparked by his big win in the Kemaman parliamentary by-election last year.
At the same media conference, Hamzah explained that the MPs chosen to shadow the portfolios were selected based on their expertise and experience. The list of shadow ministers was also provided, including Finance (Datuk Seri Radzi Jidin) and Economy (Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman).
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Sanusi Mokhtar and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah were assigned the shadow portfolios of higher education and education, respectively. Other portfolios included Tourism, Art and Culture, Youth and Sports, Health, Transport, Foreign Affairs, and Women, Family and Community Development.
