KUCHING, 15 April 2009: Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) has the right to propose its representatives at the federal level, but the prime minister had exercised his prerogative on the cabinet appointment based on how the country should be administered, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said today.
“I am not normally inclined to suggest to the prime minister or to another chief minister what they should do on the appointment of the federal or state cabinet,” he told reporters after visiting the National Registration Department’s Sarawak branch office at the Jalan Simpang Tiga federal complex here.
Declining to comment on the disappointment voiced by several state BN leaders and elected representatives, including those from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), over the federal cabinet representation, he said the appointment of the state cabinet was similarly his prerogative.
A major state cabinet reshuffle is expected due to several vacancies following the death of Sports and Agriculture Assistant Minister Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot on 24 Feb as well as the defeat of two assistant ministers, Datuk Alfred Yap and Datuk Sim Kheng Hui, in the May 2006 state election.
Taib, who is also state BN chairperson, had said that a major reshuffle would be announced after the SUPP triennial delegates’ conference in December last year. — Bernama
