SHAH ALAM - The second Cabinet reshuffle of the Madani Government announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday carries deeper political significance beyond merely filling four vacant ministerial positions, as the unity government enters a critical adjustment phase with less than two years remaining in its term.
The reshuffle, which involved 28 ministerial and deputy ministerial posts, was seen as a calculated move to strengthen administrative stability while managing mounting internal and external political pressures.
Anwar’s decision to elevate six deputy ministers to full ministerial roles, including one new face, reflected an effort to reinforce the Cabinet with figures regarded as having been "battle-tested."
Nevertheless, analysts believed the exercise was shaped by more subtle political considerations.
The inability of national parties, particularly DAP, to gain stronger support among Sabah voters during the recent state election, coupled with growing dissatisfaction within the Chinese community towards the Pakatan Harapan government and several of its ministers, was believed to have directly influenced the scale of the reshuffle.
This pressure was compounded by aggressive demands from DAP leaders for faster administrative reforms, alongside persistent criticism from former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.
Questions have also arisen following the removal of Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) and Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), prompting debate over the government’s evolving priorities and the political discipline it seeks to enforce.
Ilham Centre executive director Hisommudin Bakar said the appointment of Hannah Yeoh as Federal Territories Minister could either consolidate DAP’s strength in its traditional urban strongholds or provoke backlash from the Malay community against Anwar.
He said Hannah’s appointment as the first non-Malay to helm a sensitive and controversial ministry carried significant political implications, particularly in relation to DAP’s demands for reforms in local governance.
“The removal of Dr Zaliha and the transfer of Hannah Yeoh’s portfolio from the Youth and Sports Ministry to Federal Territories creates the perception that DAP now has the upper hand to realise their agenda at the urban level.
“This appointment can be seen as Anwar’s response to ease DAP’s pressure demanding reforms to be completed within six months.
“However, with only about a year and a half left in the administration, this move risks triggering polemics and resistance from the right-wing segment, especially the Malays,” he told Sinar.
Hisommudin stressed that any reform initiatives, including the implementation of local authority elections, must be approached cautiously.
He warned that prolonged controversy over what he described as DAP’s radical demands, including the Urban Renewal Bill, could weaken Malay voter support in an already fragile political environment.
On religious affairs, he said the replacement of Mohd Na’im with Dr Zulkifli Hasan reflected the need for stronger political handling of sensitive issues.
“Mohd Na’im is seen as lacking political elements, while Zulkifli, with his background in Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), has the network and ability to manage pressure and misunderstandings on religious issues more effectively,” he said, acknowledging the controversy surrounding the Federal Territories Mufti Bill as a possible contributing factor.
The appointment of Datuk Mustapha Sakmud as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah and Sarawak Affairs was described as an expected move to ensure continued Sabah representation in the Cabinet.
Likewise, the elevation of Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani as Investment, Trade and Industry Minister and the appointment of Umno women chief Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad as Plantation and Commodities Minister were anticipated.
However, Hisommudin cautioned that Mustapha faces a significant challenge in maintaining the relevance of national parties in Sabah ahead of the 16th General Election, particularly amid the strengthening "Sabah for Sabahan" sentiment.
Meanwhile, former PKR information coordination secretary Iswardy Morni said the large-scale reshuffle was timely, given the Madani Government’s current trust deficit among the public, including within its own support base.
He viewed the change in the religious affairs portfolio as necessary to prevent Islamic affairs from being influenced by intellectual factions that could divide the ummah, while attributing Dr Zaliha’s removal to pressure from urban traders dissatisfied with her performance.
“Regarding the appointment of ministers from DAP, I see it as a step to ease the party’s pressure on Anwar, especially following business taxation issues that are weighing on the Chinese community,” he said.
Iswardy added that the appointments of Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir and Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, both seen as aligned with Rafizi, were intended to temper criticism from the former PKR deputy president.
Nevertheless, he expected Rafizi’s criticisms to persist, particularly with several underperforming ministers retained and the appointment of Datuk Seri R. Ramanan as Human Resources Minister.