郑丁贤：內阁老面孔多

出处　　∶星洲日报
英译原题∶Plenty of old faces in new Cabinet
作者　　∶郑丁贤
发表日期∶09-04-09
翻译　　∶DOMINIC LOH

新內阁阵容，论人数，部长少了3人，从31降至28；论部门，有两个旧部门合併，不过，也增设了一个新部门。

在新人欠缺之下，各项调整，主要是反映成员党人事的变动。

巫统党选的胜利者，得到了高回酬；只是，职位的安排，出乎意料。慕尤丁受委副首相理所当然；但是，他未兼贸工部长，而是教育部，这和他的財经背景和经歷有所出入。纳吉的解释是，兼任教长，慕尤丁將有更多的时间留在国內。

希山被认为会留在教育部，但是，却调到內政部；这个部门，主导警察、审查、意识形態等，是执政党的护身符。

过去很长时间，內政部长多由首相或副首相兼任，或是资深巫统部长担任。此次交到相当年轻的希山，显示纳吉对他的特別信任。

另一位纳吉的亲信，阿末扎希担任防长，可以巩固纳吉在国防部的实力；而沙菲益阿达出掌乡村发展部，虽然不是很重要的部门，不过，有利於他发展基层力量。

一些老一辈的人物，还是留在新內阁。莱益士、诺莫哈末、纳兹里等，看来是平衡作用。

马华部长一如所料，黄家泉党选失利而去职，换上了得高票的副总会长江作汉；而黄燕燕能留下来，倒有点慰劳性质。

中选巫青团长的凯里没有入阁，倒是落选的慕克力出任副部长，有悖常理；不过，凯里党选时涉及金钱政治问题，未能洗刷清白，应是主因。

新內阁没有延揽民间的党外人士加入，有別於马哈迪和阿都拉的作风；或者，职位原本就僧多粥少，而少数个別专业人士加入，能发挥多大作用，仍待观察。

总的来说，纳吉的內阁旧人多，新人少，算不上有突破；不过，在人事部署和政策协调上，却是安全的做法。

除非国阵成员党本身打破即有的框架，引进大量新生代人才，以及他们能够中选人民代议士，进而加入政府领导层；否则，欠缺活水注入会很辛苦。

Talking about size, there are three fewer ministers in the new Cabinet line-up, a drop from 31 to 28.

Talking about the ministries, two ministries have been merged, but a new one has also been set up.

Where there is a lack of new faces, the various adjustments made mainly reflect the personnel changes taking place within BN's various component parties.

Muhyiddin Yassin is naturally the choice for DPM, but he is not offered the trade and indutries portfolio this time, but education, which is way out from his financial background and experience.

Najib's explanation: As the education minister, Muhyiddin will have more time staying back in the country!

Hishamuddin has been anticipated to keep his education portfolio, but now finds himself landed in the home ministry. This ministry controls the country's police force, auditing, political ideologies and a host more, and is an amulet for the ruling party.

Over a very long time in the past, the home ministry has been headed either by the prime minister or the deputy prime minister, or at least a senior UMNO minister.

The post is now in the hands of a relatively young Hishamuddin, showing that Najib indeed has a lot of confidence in him.

"The winners in UMNO's party elections have been rewarded handsomely, but the arrangement of Cabinet posts has been rather unexpected."

Another trusted follower of Najib, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been appointed the defence minister, which should consolidate Najib's influences in the defence ministry. As for Shafie Apdal, he is given the rural and regional portfolio, which although is not a key post, should help him develop his grassroots support.

Some of the old faces are reinstated. Rais Yatim, Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Nazri are seen to be there to balance the power structure.

As widely expected, MCA's Ong Ka Chuan has been dropped, while Kong Cho Ha and Ng Yen Yen stay on.

The newly elected UMNO Youth chairman Khairy Jamaluddin has been excluded from Najib's list, but his defeated opponent Mukhriz Mahathir is offered a deputy ministerial post, which is quite unusual.

Nevertheless, as Khairy has been implicated in money politics during the party elections and has yet to be able to clear his name, that should probably explain why he is kept out of the Cabinet.

The new Cabinet has not included non-partisan individuals, a distinct departure from Mahathir and Abdullah's styles. Owing to the reduced number of posts available, the inclusion of a few professionals should perhaps play a more pronounced role in the new Cabinet.

Generally speaking, there are a whole lot more old faces than new ones in Najib's Cabinet, which shouldn't be called a breakthrough by any measure. But where personnel deployment and policy coordination are concerned, it should have been a rather safe thing to do.

Unless BN's component parties could break through their existing confines to recruit plenty of new blood, and these new guys can become elected representatives and subsequently join the administrative line-up, it will be very hard to inject more new blood in a dearth of living water.