KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) communication director Khalid Abdul Samad hopes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will name a permanent domestic trade and living cost minister soon.
The former federal minister said his party has submitted a couple of potential candidates to Anwar for consideration as the ministerial post was part of Amanah’s quota, Mingguan Malaysia reported today.
“But it needs to be filled as soon as possible. If not, even the deputy minister might ‘mess up’ and the ministerial officers would have no idea what to do,” he was quoted as saying in an interview with the Sunday edition of Malay newspaper Utusan Malaysia published today.
He acknowledged that the prime minister has the prerogative, but cautioned that without a confirmed permanent minister instead of an interim one, important decisions might be delayed.
“For me, as long as the minister is not appointed, it is a matter of uncertainty. There are one or two names given and we understand that the prerogative is the prime minister.
“We understand that there were two quotas for Amanah. which is for the minister and deputy minister,” he was quoted as saying.
Papar MP Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali who is from Gagasan Rakyat Sabah has been appointed acting minister following the death of Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub at age 61 on July 23 after a brain aneurysm.
Salahuddin had been Amanah deputy president and Pulai MP.
The Domestic Trade and Living Cost Ministry and Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, currently helmed by Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, have come under greater local attention with Malaysia still recovering economically from the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown years and increasing global shortages on food supplies like rice and sugar imports.
