KUCHING: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing yesterday disagreed with a suggestion to give MCA four appointments should the latter decide to rejoin the federal cabinet.
He said this would be most unfair especially to PRS, which won all six parliamentary seats contested in the 13th general election in May while MCA were almost decimated.
“They (MCA) just won seven out of 35 seats contested. We must bear in mind that political strength of any party is judged by the number of seats won in an election and not by the number of people a party claims to have,” he said.
It was reported in a national daily yesterday if MCA decided to take up posts in the federal cabinet, the formula would either be two-plus-two or one-plus-three.
The two-plus-two formula would see the post of two ministers and two deputy ministers, while the one-plus-three formula would see the post of one minister and three deputy ministers .
The ministerial post earmarked for MCA is the Transport Ministry, of which Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein is the acting minister.
Before the 13GE, MCA has four cabinet posts. But due to its disastrous performance, MCA has opted not to accept any cabinet posts.
MCA newly elected president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the party might have another emergency general meeting (EGM) to allow delegates to decide if they wanted the party to allow representatives to serve in the cabinet.
He had said: “As stated by Datuk Yii Phook Hong (the speaker at the recent MCA Assembly), delegates hope the party will be represented in the cabinet. The central leadership will deliberate the matter at a suitable time.”
If MCA indeed decided to return to the cabinet, this may prompt Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to reshuffle the cabinet to probably make more appointments.
PRS was allocated one full minister and one deputy minister when the cabinet was announced on May 15, 10 days after the 13GE.
Its deputy president, who is Selangau MP Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun, was given the post as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Party vice president and Julau MP Datuk Joseph Salang, on the other hand, declined the post as deputy minister of tourism and was subsequently appointed as Sarawak 1Malaysia Advisory Council chairman.
Following its recent supreme council meeting, PRS is still seeking additional ministerial posts in the federal cabinet because the current quota did not commensurate with its contributions in the last general election.
On the other hand, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) is also asking for ministerial appointments. This is because the party was not allocated any posts despite winning all its four seats in the 13GE.
On another subject, Masing hoped 2014 would be a year where sincerity of purpose and transparency will be the forefront of BN political objectives.
He said dishonest politicians should have no place in Malaysian politics in 2014. “I know it is a tall order, but do it we must if we want to remain credible administrators of this nation,” he stated.