PUTRAJAYA, July 5 — Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa has rejected claims that the Cabinet line-up favoured Malay-dominated parties like Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), saying it was done based on merit.

“The prime minister decides. He did not appoint the Cabinet based on the number of seats each party won, but merit,” he told Malay Mail in an exclusive interview here.

Fitch Group research unit BMI Research said Tuesday that the Cabinet line-up was “lopsided” and over-represented Malay-Muslim parties — PPBM and Amanah — at the expense of PKR and DAP.

The multiracial PKR and secular DAP are the biggest PH parties in Parliament with 50 and 42 seats respectively.

BMI Research said it acknowledged that the Cabinet line-up may allay fears among Malays about the Chinese supposedly taking over the country, and so PH parties might have agreed that giving predominantly Malay parties more portfolios was necessary for their political survival.

The Fitch Group research outfit said although PKR and DAP have the most ministerial and deputy ministerial positions totalling 15 and 12 respectively, a Cabinet line-up strictly proportionate with parties’ parliamentary seat count should see PKR holding 19 positions, DAP (17 positions), PPBM (five positions), Amanah (five positions), and Warisan (three positions), with two positions to spare. PPBM, Amanah and Warisan instead have 10, nine and five Cabinet posts respectively.

“We are not ministers representing Chinese or Malays, but Malaysians representing other Malaysians as a whole,” Mujahid added.

https://www.malaymail.com/s/1649235/cabinet-appointments-based-on-merit-not-race-amanah-minister-insists