Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has called for a Cabinet reshuffle instead of dissolving Parliament, arguing that ministers and parties failing to uphold government discipline should be held accountable.
Its information chief Datuk Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz questioned why the public should bear the consequences of certain ministers and parties failing to observe discipline and fulfil their responsibilities as members of the administration.
He said that under the Westminster parliamentary democracy system, being part of the government was not merely about sharing power, positions and privileges, but also involved collective responsibility for national policies, decisions and the country’s direction.
“The problem with the Unity Government today is not merely the poor performance of ministries, but also the failure of certain ministers and parties within the government to function as a team.
“They want to continue enjoying the benefits and positions of being in government, but whenever weaknesses or failures arise, they resort to passing the blame to the Prime Minister and the government, distancing themselves from collective decisions and even attacking the government they are part of,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Tun Faisal explained that the principle of collective ministerial responsibility under the Westminster system required Cabinet members to share responsibility for government decisions.
While differences of opinion could be discussed within the Cabinet, he said ministers were expected to respect and defend decisions once they had been made.
“If they no longer agree or cannot accept the government’s decisions, the ministers concerned should relinquish their Cabinet positions instead of continuing to enjoy their posts while blaming the Prime Minister and the government they are part of,” he said.
He stressed that ministers and parties responsible for breaching government discipline should be held accountable, rather than the public.
He argued that Malaysians should not have to bear the political and economic costs of a parliamentary dissolution and another general election because of the failures of those in government.
Tun Faisal said the situation was particularly worrying as the country faced global economic and geopolitical uncertainties, as well as cyberattack threats that could undermine the economy, national security and the country’s stability.
He also alleged that irresponsible behaviour and political manoeuvring were repeating patterns seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Malaysians were fighting for their lives and the country was on the brink of economic collapse.
Reflecting on Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) time in government between 2020 and 2022, he said the then administration and prime minister had also faced political pressure from leaders of the same party.
However, he claimed that Cabinet members from the party had generally maintained better discipline, shared collective responsibility and refrained from blaming the government or prime minister.
“At that time, criticism, attacks and sabotage largely came from party leaders and members who were outside the Cabinet.
“Today, the situation is different, with those who remain in government, including parties with representatives in the Cabinet, also shirking responsibility and blaming their own administration, creating conflicting messages and an impression of instability.
“Ironically, those who supposedly formed the Unity Government following the decree of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong now appear to be going against the very call for ‘unity’ that they once used as their mantra and justification,” he said.
Tun Faisal therefore proposed that the Cabinet be reshuffled and the administration put in order before the country is taken into another general election.
He noted that the government still had approximately a year before Parliament’s term expires to improve its performance, strengthen the administration and restore government discipline.
“The people should not become victims of ministers and parties that want to enjoy the power of being in government but refuse to shoulder the responsibilities that come with it,” he said.
