Bn Can T Demand Cabinet Posts But Will Accept Appointments Mic

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BN cannot demand any cabinet positions in Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, but its members may be appointed to hold ministerial portfolios.
This is according to MIC president SA Vigneswaran, who said the position was in line with BN’s “No DAP, no Anwar” stance.
“The Umno general assembly’s decision of ‘No DAP, No Anwar, No Bersatu’ is still in force. Umno’s decision was also adopted by the BN leadership.
“That’s why BN had previously abstained and decided not to join the government. But, BN changed its stance to support Anwar after accepting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s advice and agreeing to form a unity government with Pakatan Harapan.
“So, I’m of the opinion that BN cannot demand any positions in the incoming cabinet,” he told Malaysiakini.
Nevertheless, Vigneswaran (above) said Anwar should be given as much latitude as possible to choose his cabinet members, including from amongst BN leaders.
“If Anwar chooses leaders from BN to be in his cabinet, that is acceptable to us. That is what I meant in my previous statement,” he said.
He said this when asked to elaborate on a Sinar Harian report that said MIC would not demand any positions in the unity government.
On Nov 24, the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong appointed Anwar to become the 10th prime minister, following consultations with the Council of Rulers at the Istana Negara.
The 15th general election on Nov 19 saw Anwar’s Harapan coalition win 82 parliamentary seats, which makes it the largest coalition but still came up short of the 112 seats needed to achieve a simple majority.
Prime Minister Anwar IbrahimPerikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin, meanwhile, had claimed to have the support of 115 MPs, but the claim was rejected by the palace.
To resolve the imbroglio, the king proposed a unity government.
Under this arrangement, Anwar would lead the unity government with BN as Harapan’s main partner - while Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Warisan are also joining the government.
Anwar had struck a deal with BN - where appointments to the cabinet, government agencies, senate and government-linked companies need to be jointly agreed upon by the prime minister and deputy prime minister.
This is part of a 10-point agreement between Anwar and BN. The agreement itself has not been made public, but Harapan and BN leaders have confirmed its existence.
Meanwhile, Vigneswaran said Muhyiddin’s challenge for Anwar to show his majority in Parliament is part of the democratic process.
"The appointment of a prime minister is His Majesty’s sole prerogative. The Federal Constitution says the prime minister is based on his ‘judgment’.
PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin“Judgment can be subjective. No one can question His Majesty’s power. We have to respect the king and the Council of Rulers’ decision.
“I believe Muhyiddin is not challenging His Majesty’s power. He is just asking Anwar to show his level of support because it is part of the democratic process.
“That’s because support for someone can change, just like what happened to Muhyiddin himself,” the former Dewan Negara president added.
Muhyiddin was appointed as prime minister following the events of the Sheraton Move in 2020, with support from BN, before 14 Umno MPs withdrew their support. This led to Muhyiddin being replaced by Umno vice-president, Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Muhyiddin challenged Anwar to demonstrate his majority support but conceded to the king’s decision a day later.
Anwar had announced that the Parliament will convene on Dec 19, and among the issues on the agenda is a motion of confidence for him. - Mkini

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