KUALA LUMPUR – An opposition MP has questioned the government’s delay in appointing a new domestic trade and cost of living minister, noting that the current acting minister has to helm two jobs.
Datuk Awang Solahuddin Hashim (Pendang-PN) asked in the Dewan Rakyat today if Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, who is also overseeing the domestic trade ministry, was being paid to do two jobs at the same time.
“It has been three, almost four months… and now all we have is the deputy minister and (acting) minister who is also a minister at the Prime Minister’s Office. So he’s doing two jobs at once.
“That is, if he is paid to shoulder two jobs. If he is not, then he’d have to focus on his main position,” Awang said during the committee-stage debate on Budget 2024.
The post of domestic trade minister has been vacant since the death of Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub on July 23. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said previously that a new minister would be decided after the six state elections in August, but no one has been appointed to date.
Awang today said the government seemed to be having “issues” in appointing a new minister, to which a voice in the Dewan Rakyat was heard shouting: “No! there’s no issue!”
Awang, who is from PAS, then retorted: “Then if there is no issue, appoint somebody! Why didn’t they appoint Jelutong?”
The Jelutong MP is R.S.N. Rayer of DAP, who frequently spars with opposition lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat.
Earlier, Awang in his budget debate made mention of the fact that a new minister had yet to be appointed to replace Salahuddin.
Awang was highlighting Budget 2024’s RM200 million allocation for the Rahmah initiative, questioning whether this would genuinely benefit the people.
“Will the allocation help to solve the issues involving rising costs of living these days? Even padi seeds have been sold on the black market for RM100 when they used to be sold for RM15 to RM16.
“We demand a detailed explanation from the government to show they are serious about helping the rakyat. Because (as of now), even the domestic trade minister has not been appointed,” Awang said.
“In the quest of appointing a new minister, the government must find a minister of high quality (and) professionalism… which is why Jelutong was not appointed as the (new) minister, as all he does is chaos,” the Perikatan Nasional lawmaker said, taking a jibe at Rayer.
Salahuddin, who died aged 61, had pioneered the Payung Rahmah initiative, which provides affordable meals and daily essential items for the lower-income and hardcore poor groups. – November 14, 2023