Cabinet minister, anyone?

The opposition in the 12th general election defeated many top guns in BN including the bosses of three component parties. If based on the power-sharing concept held by BN, will the defeated BN leaders provided a back door to be appointed as ministers, deputy ministers or parliamentary secretaries by appointing them as senators? Will these losers have moral conscience and courage to reject these appointments since the voters already rejected them? Further more, will there be ample senator vacancies for so many casualties?
When the parliament was dissolved, MCA held 4 minister positions, 9 deputy ministers and 4 parliamentary secretaries. MIC has 1-3-3 ratios, Gerakan 1-3-2 and PPP only a deputy minister position.

Cabinet positions before General Election and Seats Won

MCA MIC Gerakan PPP Total
Minister 4 1 1 - 6
Deputy Minister 9 3 3 1 16
Parliamentary Secretary 4 3 2 - 9
Total 17 7 6 1 31
Parliament Seats Won 15 3 2 0 20


Assumed the BN continued to practice the power-sharing concept and allocate similar quota, there will be a problem for them to fill all the positions. MCA secured only 15 parliamentary seats, MIC won 3 seats, Gerakan retained 2 and PPP lost its only seat in Taiping. There will be two choices i.e., either their quota are reduced or their representatives are appointed as senators before taking up government positions. While the first choice seems the easier way, it will put a blot to the power-sharing concept of BN. On the other, even if non-Umno members of the BN coalition agreed to accept appointment as senators there might not be enough senatorial position to share amongst them.


The total number of senator in Dewan Negara is 70 members. Since the state assembly in Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor are controlled by PAS-PKR-DAP, there will be 10 seats lesser for BN distribution. Any senator seat vacated by those previously appointed by BN will surely be replaced by PAS, PKR or DAP candidates.

If all the leaders who lost in the election like Koh Tsu Koon, Samy Vellu, Kayveas and others do not want to be appointed as a senator, it is possible new and fresh faces will be appointed to fulfill the quota.

On ministerial positions, MCA most probably will not face problem in filling the four positions as four of their senior leaders, Ong Ka Ting (president), Fong Chan Onn (VP), Ong Tee Keat (VP) and either Ong Ka Chuan (secretary general) or Wanita head Ng Yen Yen, won the seats they contested.

MIC expected to hand over the only minister slot to their most senior elected MP, Secretary General Dr. S. Subramaniam (Segamat) since all their top leaders lost their seats. This is of course assuming Samy Vellu, G. Palanivel or S. Sothinathan are not appointed minister by taking up a senatorship.

Another looming question is are we looking at Malaysia’s first Chinese female minister in the incoming Cabinet? This is not far-fetch if the male dominated senior Gerakan leaders decided to act like gentlemen and proposed Gerik MP Tan Lian Hoe who is also Gerakan Wanita head to lead Gerakan in the Cabinet. At least this will be an appreciative gesture for Tan Lian Hoe after the merry-go-round she went through in getting a seat to stand since 2004.


MCA might also take the same route by offering ministerial position to Ng Yen Yen instead of Ong Ka Chuan. Firstly, this approach will provide a stronger platform for Wanita MCA to strengthen the woman grassroots supporters in view of the Wanita MCA weakening representation in parliament and the frontbenchers. Secondly, in view of MCA’s heavy electoral losses, by not having Ong Ka Chuan as a minister will at least placate any further rumblings amongst MCA members and the Chinese community that an “Ong dynasty” is on the cards.


But will UMNO discard the power-sharing concept and decides to throw the baby out together with the water, i.e. to punish the voters for rejecting MCA, Gerakan and MIC by reducing or not allocating any Cabinet positions to them. If this is the path UMNO is taking, then it will be a case of a father carrying out his threat to throw the kids out of the house if they do not listen to instructions.

Is this how we treat our children by severing family ties because of differing opinions? Or should an elder or parents put in extra efforts to understand the needs and aspiration of the children better and grow with them together?



Note:
Article 45 of the Malaysian Constitution stated that the composition of the Senate or Dewan Negara are drawn from the following methods:

(1) Subject to Clause (4), the Senate shall consist of elected and appointed members as follows:
(a) two members for each State shall be elected in accordance with the Seventh Schedule; and
(aa) two members for the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, one member for the Federal Territory of Labuan and one member for the Federal Territory of Putrajaya shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong; and(b) forty members shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.