PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet can be trimmed to function as a leaner administration with greater involvement of civil servants. Downsizing its 70 posts to ensure no overlaps of duties is vital in a period of fiscal austerity, political analysts said.
Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin urged the current Perikatan Nasional coalition ministers and their deputies to do more with the help of government machinery.
“A good number will be 28 ministers,” she told theSun yesterday. “We need to have a governance body well supported by an efficient civil service.
“There are overlaps and these need to be looked into rather than creating a number (of positions) to absorb more people.”
Pejuang listed 12 proposed amendments last week to be included in Budget 2021, the main one being the need for the Cabinet to be trimmed.
The administration helmed by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has 70 posts, including 38 ministers and 32 deputies.
In comparison, the previous Pakatan Harapan government had 55 posts with 28 ministers and 27 deputies.
Other countries with bigger populations have functioned well with a leaner administration. Japan has 20 ministries including one which has six portfolios, while the United Kingdom has 21. Closer to home, Indonesia, with a population of 273 million is governed by 34 ministers.
Chin reiterated the need for ministers to work hand-in-hand with civil departments rather than create more Cabinet posts.
“Ministers do not have to be on the ground all the time to ensure things are implemented. They need to set policies and let staff implement them. It’s about putting the right people to run and govern the country.”
The former Bersih 2.0 chairman also expressed hope Malaysia would initiate a development fund, raised by political parties, to be allocated to MPs to carry out services for the people.
“Countries like Sweden have done this and it cuts down corruption.”
Political analyst Lim Teck Ghee called for all positions in the Cabinet to be reviewed.
“There are countries with efficient and effective governments with much smaller Cabinet sizes that can provide models for downsizing. Germany has over 80 million people and is one of the largest economies in the world. It has only 14 ministries.”
Economist Prof Dr Barjoyai Bardai said having an inflated Cabinet could also be seen as a tradition to reward those who are loyal.
“It can be seen as a form of corruption. Downsizing the Cabinet is a way for the government to show it is thrifty and this is something positive.”
Barjoyai added while the government cannot make any drastic decisions to reduce the Cabinet right away, it can give a commitment to do so when it (Cabinet) is reviewed.
