‘Baffling Chong isn’t in new PH cabinet line-up’
KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Corporate Affairs Abdullah Saidol is baffled that state Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Chong Chieng Jen was not included in the new federal cabinet line-up announced by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Friday.
Abdullah said this was because of the way Chong had behaved in the last few days, which seemed to indicate he would be made a minister.
Although he is on the opposite side of the political divide, Abdullah said as a Sarawakian he is honestly disappointed the PH federal government had excluded Sarawakians from the PH cabinet.
However, Abdullah said he respects the people’s decision to change the federal government
I am not sure Malaysians, being a plural society of multiracial and religious backgrounds, will ever see each other the same as before because so much bigotry was being relentlessly advocated. — Abdullah Saidol, Assistant Minister of Corporate Affairs
and most of the states in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Many people thought that democracy is tainted and SPR (Election Commission) was frequently criticised but it is proven that our democratic election is healthy and so far things seem to be going peacefully,” he said when contacted by thesundaypost yesterday.
He also opined that the election campaigning was very rough.
“I am not sure Malaysians, being a plural society of multiracial and religious backgrounds, will ever see each other the same way as before because so much bigotry was being relentlessly advocated,” he said.
Abdullah said time will see whether Malaysian society can heal and harmoniously grow or whether prejudices would worsen.
Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah also called the new federal cabinet line-up “disappointing, because there is no representation from Sarawak”.