‘New’ Cabinet list circulating

KUALA LUMPUR: A “new” Cabinet list with named “Jemaah Menteri Malaysia 2008” is being circulated at the Parliament Lobby here with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the Prime Minister.

No body claimed ownership to the list, which also features Lim Kit Siang (DAP - Ipoh Timur) as Deputy Prime Minister cum Internal Security Minister, R. Sivarasa (PKR - Subang) as another Deputy Prime Minister also looking after law and judiciary and Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, also the Deputy Prime Minister from Sabah/ Sarawak.

In the list, Yong, the SAPP president, is also named rural development minister.

Others included on the list as senior ministers are Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS - Marang) taking charge of religious affairs, Karpal Singh (DAP - Bukit Gelugor) as integrity affairs and federal ties minister, William Leong (PKR- Selayang) as economics cum international trade and industry minister.

Lim, when contacted, said he was not aware of the list and had not seen it yet.

PKR information chief Tian Chua (PKR - Batu) said the list was ridiculous and it was not done by PKR.

“The list is being circulated in Permatang Pauh,” he said.

Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar (PAS - Tumpat), the PAS secretary-general, said the list was not authoritative and was done with sarcasm, to stop some Barisan MPs from crossing over to the opposition.

“The new government, should it be formed, will include Barisan Nasional MPs because we do not have enough MPs.

“The new government should be inclusive of the current Cabinet. There are good MPs from BN to be retained,” said Kamaruddin.