Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong today argued that replacing underperforming ministers is a far more responsible approach than enlarging the Sarawak Cabinet at taxpayers’ expense. She highlighted that claims of ministers being overworked are unjustified, pointing out that the 27 deputy ministers in place should not be treated as mere “pasu bunga” (decorative positions).
Yong made her remarks during the debate on the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill, 2025, specifically the amendment to Article 6(3), which allows the appointment of up to four additional members to the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) or Sarawak Cabinet.
Questioning the government’s rationale that expanding the Cabinet would “strengthen the machinery of the State government,” Yong noted that deputy ministers are already intended to ease the workload of senior ministers.
“If deputies can be appointed without limit, their purpose is to assist ministers. Yet we are being told ministers are overburdened and the solution is to add more ministers instead of empowering the deputies already available. Does this mean deputy ministers are ineffective or redundant? Absolutely not. Perhaps the problem lies in the administrative structure and delegation itself,” she said.
Yong also criticised the argument that long ministerial winding-up speeches justify Cabinet enlargement, describing it as “superficial.” She said lengthy speeches are an administrative choice, not a consequence of excessive workload.
“In my view, this cannot be accepted as a reason to enlarge the Cabinet. Ministries can prepare concise and precise speeches rather than using inefficiency as justification for more ministers,” she said, adding that a well-structured ministry with clear delegation and effective use of deputies would not require hours-long speeches.
The assemblywoman questioned how increasing the number of ministers, without changing ministry names or functions, would improve performance. “This risks creating a larger Cabinet without addressing the root problem—inefficiency in structure, delegation, and communication,” she said.
Taking aim at the Ministry of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, Yong pointed out that despite having two deputies and 29 local councils, persistent issues—from delayed housing projects to unresolved public complaints—remain. “With that level of machinery, no minister can claim to be overworked. The excuse is baseless. The only reasonable conclusion is that the ministry is poorly led, poorly managed, and poorly prioritised,” she added.
Yong emphasised that adding ministers without addressing performance risks masking incompetence rather than solving it. She also highlighted the financial impact, noting that each additional minister brings substantial costs in salaries, allowances, offices, vehicles, and operational budgets.
Concluding her speech, Yong said the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak supports strengthening state administration but opposes the Bill, urging the government to prioritise efficiency, accountability, and capable leadership over unnecessary Cabinet enlargement for convenience or political expediency.
