KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak defended two of his embattled ministers today against criticisms from a Barisan Nasional backbencher, pointing out that Cabinet appointments were his prerogative as Prime Minister.
Speaking at the Gerakan national delegates conference today, he said Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon was appointed as a minister because he valued the participation of Gerakan in the BN administration.
Koh and embattled MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat came under fire this week in Parliament from BN’s Sri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz who called for the two men to quit the Cabinet.
He said Koh was an underperforming minister while pointing out that Ong did not even have the confidence of his own party anymore.
Koh’s Gerakan has seen its profile and influence drop drastically after the party lost control of Penang to DAP in Election 2008. Koh also lost in his bid for a parliamentary seat and only became a minister after Najib had him appointed a senator.
But there is a growing perception even among government backbenchers that Koh has not been performing in his job as Najib’s key man overseeing the government’s key performance indicators (KPI).
Ong has also found himself in a major predicament after losing a no-confidence vote at the recent MCA EGM. He is also engaged in a public fight with his own central committee.
But Najib defended his appointments today and said his appointments should not be questioned. “I have to make a decision in the interest of Barisan Nasional. I am not just Umno president. I am the chairman of BN. I am not just the PM for the Malays, I am a PM for all Malaysians, he told Gerakan delegates.
Because of Gerakan and MCA’s dismal performance in Election 2008, coupled with the two parties inability to regain support from Chinese voters for BN, Umno divisional leaders have been pressuring Najib to open up more ministerial positions to the BN lynchpin at the expense of the two non-Malay component parties.
Najib has so far resisted the temptation to drop the quota of ministers allocated to component parties under BN’s power sharing formula.
The prime minister also urged BN parties today to resolve their internal problems as quickly as possible.
“Gerakan must move together like a train, and so must MCA, MIC, PPP and all the others. If you have troubles, solve them quickly. What are you waiting for?”
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