The Straits Times: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has continued to draw flak for his “kleptocrat” cabinet as the new ministers were sworn in before the King on Saturday.
Political rivals and netizens have taken issue with his appointment of Umno president Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister, despite the latter facing 47 graft charges in court.Anwar has also been criticised for keeping the finance minister’s post for himself.
His main rival, Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, who is now opposition leader, said that this will lead to the centralisation of power and corruption.”Anwar’s actions are akin to selling the nation’s dignity simply because of his desire to become prime minister,” Muhyiddin said on Saturday.Muhyiddin’s claim to the premiership was thwarted after he lost the support of several Umno MPs and coalitions that would have given him a parliamentary majority.The Umno-led Barisan Nasional was one of several coalitions that agreed to form a “unity government” with Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the King’s urging, after Malaysia’s Nov 19 election resulted in a hung Parliament.