HISHAM: LIM DISRESPECTED DR MAHATHIR
‘Potential ministers should be announced by prime ministerial candidate’
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s move to announce two of its parliamentary candidates as potential cabinet ministers if the opposition pact wins the 14th General Election (GE14) is arrogant and disrespectful to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said it showed that DAP was the “big brother” in the opposition despite the pact having agreed to have Dr Mahathir as the prime ministerial candidate should it come to power.
“The selection of cabinet members is the prerogative of the prime minister. If Dr Mahathir is dreaming of becoming the prime minister again, (then) it should not be Lim to decide on the cabinet. My question to Lim is: ‘If he really wants Dr Mahathir as prime minister, why did he make the announcement on who should be in the cabinet?’”
Hishammuddin, who is defence minister and the incumbent Sembrong member of parliament, said this at a programme with members of the People’s Volunteer Corps in Pekan Kahang here yesterday.
He expressed doubt about the agreement between Dr Mahathir and DAP, with Lim making such an announcement.
“I want to ask Dr Mahathir is the agreement between him and DAP true. If he is sincere, Lim would not have made the announcement.”
Lim had announced that Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming and Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong, fielded to contest the Teluk Intan parliamentary seat in Perak and the Ayer Hitam seat in Johor, respectively, were potential cabinet members if they won the seats and if the pact won GE14.
Hishammuddin said the development agenda for the constituents of Sembrong was not an empty promise by Barisan Nasional.
This, he said, was proven with projects, involving housing, education, security and health, carried out in the constituency by the BN government.