Anwar’s Cabinet Shuffle: Decoding Malaysia’s Power Moves

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reshuffled his Cabinet, adding three new politicians from Borneo in a move analysts say is aimed at bolstering support in Sabah and Sarawak ahead of the next general election.

Cabinet Reshuffle Focuses on Borneo Support

The new appointments include Chiew Choon Man of PKR as deputy minister for tourism, arts and culture; Mordi Bimol of DAP as deputy youth and sports minister; and Lo Su Fui of GRS as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories).

Analysts noted that Sabah and Sarawak were the “major winners” in the reshuffle, following the ruling PH coalition’s poor performance in recent Sabah polls. The changes are seen as a strategic effort to strengthen the government’s position in these key regions.

The reshuffle is likely the final major round of changes before the next general election, with Anwar’s strategy focused on maintaining stability while testing younger leaders through portfolio rotations. A key consideration was ensuring satisfaction among component parties as they prepare to compete for seats, potentially under a unified banner against the Perikatan Nasional opposition.

“If the component parties in the Madani government are satisfied and can work together and avoid as far as possible multi-cornered fights, this can be a good strategy ahead of the next GE,” said an analyst.

Despite the changes, dissent from the MCA and MIC is expected to continue, as both parties remain excluded from Cabinet appointments despite being part of the unity government. Analysts suggest their continued criticism may have dissuaded the prime minister from including them.

The replacement of the religious affairs minister, from Na’im Mokhtar to Zulkifli Hasan, was also a strategic move to appeal to Malay Muslim voters, as the previous minister had drawn criticism from the opposition Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS). Anwar aims to regain support from this demographic ahead of the election.

However, analysts emphasize the importance of focusing on economic strengths rather than reacting to opposition tactics related to race and religion. The overall changes are considered minor, designed to avoid disruption among allied parties.

“It is a GE Cabinet because of how close it is to the elections,” said an analyst. “Now we need to see if this government will deliver – it seems that Anwar’s best bet is to focus on strong economic policies since he is losing ground to PAS on issues like religion.”