PM Mahathir names three ministers, to set up council of 'eminent persons'

PETALING JAYA — Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday (May 12) named three top leaders from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact to his cabinet.

In a first for Malaysia, he also announced the appointment of a five-member council of eminent persons to advise his fledging government on matters related to finance and economy.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will helm the Home Affairs ministry portfolio, while Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will be appointed as Finance Minister.

Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Mohamad Sabu will be the new Defence Minister.

The other seven ministerial posts will be revealed soon after further consultation with PH presidential council.

Dr Mahathir on Friday had announced that he will fill up posts in 10 key ministries first.

On Saturday, he said his cabinet will for now be confined to 25 members but he did not discount the possibility that it could grow later, taking into account appointments of allies in Sabah and Sarawak.

"We will try to have the 10 posts filled by next week and will try to expedite the filling up of the full cabinet within two to three weeks," he told a packed news conference at the PPBM headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Mr Lim was asked by a reporter from China how he felt about being the first ethnic Chinese finance minister in 44 years.

“I am Malaysian, I don't see myself as Chinese,” he said to applause in the room, adding that his priority is to ensure no Malaysian is left behind in the nation's development.

Mr Lim will have to relinquish his Chief Minister post in order to take up the finance post. The Star reported that Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow will be the new Chief Minister.

Acknowledging that his new administration lacks governance experience, Dr Mahathir also said the eminent persons council will help draft policies for the PH government to ensure some of the coalition's electoral pledges are fulfilled within 100 days.

"We need some expertise on this, the expertise must come from people with knowledge and with previous knowledge of administration, for being in the government, for having had held some responsible posts," he said.

Headed by former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, the council also consists of former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Zeti Akhtar Aziz, former Petronas president Tan Sri Hassan Merican, Hong Kong-based tycoon Robert Kuok and economist Professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram.

Dr Mahathir also indicated that the council will go through the books of various government organisations and ministries to ascertain if any had been involved in the "previous government's misdeeds."

"These people will study a lot of things submitted to them on things that happened from 2009 and we want to take action, if necessary, as quickly as possible," he said.

As part of its election campaign, PH has pledged to review contracts signed by the previous Najib administration, claiming that they are lopsided.

It also pledged to resolve the scandal of state investment firm 1Malaysia Development Fund (1MDB), which is under investigation by various countries due to financial irregularities.

To a question if he will review the High Speed Rail project between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, Dr Mahathir reiterated that the new government will review all contracts signed by the previous administration.

"We will review them to see how they favour us - we want to benefit from those contracts and whatever decision we make will be based on (our) studies."

On 1MDB, Dr Mahathir said he intends to make public an audit report prepared by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee.

 "I have given instructions to the police to move the restriction from the Official Secrets Act. They will submit the report to me, then I will study it in order to release it," he said, adding that his administration will contact the authorities in countries like Singapore, the United States and Switzerland to get a complete picture of the matter.

"We want to get all the data on what happened with 1MDB... We want it to be resolved as soon as possible."

He also hinted that his administration is looking for a new Attorney-General, after being asked if the current AG Mohamed Apandi Ali will be replaced.

Mr Apandi has been under fire from PH after he cleared former prime minister Najib Razak from any wrongdoing over RM2.6 billion (S$880 million) banked into Datuk Seri Najib's accounts two years ago, which the former premier said was a "donation" from a Saudi royalty.

"We are studying names and their suitability," said Dr Mahathir. "We have placed certain restrictions on a number of people who may have been involved in wrongdoings or making wrong decisions, so at the moment, we don't have an AG."

Asked about whether there is a deadline for Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians to cross over to the new government and whether this will make PH a BN 2.0, Dr Mahathir said the ruling coalition is willing to accept BN leaders “on a case-by-case basis”.

Some of them, he claimed, had "no choice" but to follow orders from the previous BN administration.

"If they pledge their allegiance (to PH) and are freed from charges, (if they) are thinking of joining any of the (PH) parties or to be independents while supporting our parties, we can accept them."