Latest news with #CabinetAppointments
Free Malaysia Today
03-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Nothing wrong with pushing for Cabinet appointments, says Umno man
Umno Supreme Council member Ahmad Maslan said the Cabinet is the prerogative of the prime minister. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : An Umno leader says there is nothing wrong with political parties pushing for Cabinet appointments although Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has the final say on the matter. 'It's up to the prime minister as the Cabinet is his prerogative. 'But it is not wrong to ask for ministerial posts,' Ahmad Maslan, an Umno Supreme Council member, was quoted as saying by Berita Harian. The deputy works minister was referring to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's call for the prime minister to ensure that his party is restored to its quota of seven ministers in the Cabinet following Tengku Zafrul Aziz's resignation from the party. Zahid said Umno had only six ministers now. 'With Tengku Zafrul no longer in Umno, the party has a right to request that a minister's portfolio be given to us,' Zahid, the deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying. Ahmad's comments were also in response to Anwar's statement that there was no pressing need for a Cabinet reshuffle despite the resignation of two ministers. Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stepped down as economy minister and natural resources and environmental sustainability minister respectively, following their defeat at the PKR polls. Rafizi lost his PKR deputy presidency to Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah Anwar, while Nik Nazmi failed to be re-elected as a party vice-president. A few days ago, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook, who is transport minister, said the two posts had yet to be vacated as the PKR duo are merely on leave for now.
Malay Mail
03-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Ahmad Maslan: PM holds final say on Cabinet reshuffle, but Zahid's push for Umno slot fair
KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan reportedly said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has the right to determine Cabinet appointments, but it is not improper for political groups to make suggestions. According to New Straits Times, Ahmad Maslan added that this included Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's proposal for a ministerial seat to be allocated to Umno if Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz joins PKR. 'It is up to the Prime Minister, as Cabinet matters fall under his prerogative and political authority,' he said. Ahmad Maslan, who is also the deputy works minister, was responding to Anwar's statement yesterday that there was no urgent need for a Cabinet reshuffle, as the government remains fully functional despite the resignation of two ministers. Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad stepped down from their Cabinet positions on May 28 after losing in the PKR party polls. Two days later, Tengku Zafrul — who is minister of investment, trade and industry — resigned from Umno and announced plans to apply for membership in PKR. Ahmad Zahid said last Friday that the economy minister post should be filled swiftly, particularly as the 13th Malaysia Plan is set to be tabled in July.
Free Malaysia Today
01-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Umno's legal bureau to look into implications of Tengku Zafrul's exit
Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said Cabinet appointments are based on the party represented instead of one's individual capacity. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Umno's legal bureau has been asked to look into the implications of Tengku Zafrul Aziz's exit from the party to apply for membership in PKR in terms of the party hopping law and on his status as senator. Umno information chief Azalina Othman Said said while the party respects a person's right to make political choices, Cabinet appointments are based on the party represented instead of one's individual capacity. Azalina, who is also law and institutional reform minister, said while the prime minister chairs the national unity council, Cabinet ministers are appointed as the party's representatives. 'An individual's political stance may change, but the party's commitment to religion, race and country must remain steadfast,' she said in a statement today. Earlier today, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said there had been no official discussions on Tengku Zafrul's application to join PKR. He said Tengku Zafrul's position as investment, trade and industry minister would not be affected. 'We have not discussed anything yet. Let him fulfil his haj first. We don't need unhealthy speculation,' he said. On Friday, Tengku Zafrul said he had submitted his resignation as an Umno member, as well as from all party posts. His decision confirmed rumours in February that he would leave Umno to join PKR before his term as a senator expires at the year's end. Tengku Zafrul was previously an Umno Supreme Council member and also headed the Kota Raja Umno division. He had contested the Kuala Selangor seat during the 2022 general election but lost to Amanah's Dzulkefly Ahmad by 1,002 votes in a four-cornered contest.
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Is the honours system still relevant for New Zealand?
A composite image of some of insignia from the New Zealand Order of Merit. Photo: Supplied/ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet This long weekend, a new list of Kiwis will be crowned with titles under the New Zealand Honour's System, when a list is unveiled on Monday to celebrate the King's Birthday. Up to 400 Honours are granted annually across lists announced for the New Year and the King's Birthday holiday, with Special Lists occasionally released at other times too. The titles bestow a smorgasbord of letters after names, like CNZM, Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit; or ONZM, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, all recognising service to the Crown and to the nation. Some become dames and knights. But is the honours system still relevant? Are the right number given out to the right people? And are the right people making decisions about who should be recognised? Anyone can nominate a person they think is worthy of a New Zealand royal honour, though at least two other people must submit letters in support of the nomination. The form is online . About 800 to 1000 nominations are considered each year, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet says. While those nominated are usually New Zealand citizens, people who are not citizens can also be nominated if they have benefited New Zealand or helped New Zealanders overseas. The applications are considered by the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee; which is a group of government ministers and chaired by the prime minister. The prime minister then makes the final recommendation to the King. Reporter Victor Waters took to the streets of Auckland to get people's views. "I guess it is kind of less valid of a title than it used to be," one man said. "It is good to recognise people's achievements, ... but I couldn't say whether we're giving them out for the right or wrong reasons." While, a woman said: "I don't really care, they're just titles - as long as it's not like a grant of a million dollars of the taxpayers money, I don't really mind. It really depends on who's nominated and if they deserve it or not. I think people deserve recognition for their work, as long as it's deserved." Another woman said: "I still think it's cool to like give knighthoods and stuff, but to those deserving and that have really earned it." While another man said: "In terms of New Zealand's indigenous perspective - whether Māoridom or Pasifika, they have [honours], and I think we can investigate that too, or perhaps weigh those up. The knighthoods and such, they are honours, but I think they have lost some of their relevance in the times that we live in. "At the same time, do we throw them out? And I'm not convinced throwing [them] out is the answer." However, he said it may be helpful for a process to be undertaken examining what the honours mean now, the values and ideas behind them, and how New Zealanders want them to evolve: "[That] is something I think might be a valuable or worthwhile offering". Twenty five years ago, then- Prime Minister Helen Clark got rid of 'sir' and 'dame' titles, in 2000 . At that time, those receiving a titular honour were appointed Principal and Distinguished Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Helen Clark was prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008. Photo: AFP In 2009, the National government led by John Key brought them back . In 2010, Clark was appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand, Aotearoa's most senior honour, and says she was "honoured" to accept it. She believes the honours should be purely New Zealand focused, and not royal honours, though recognises that many people may feel the knighthoods sound posher. "In this day and age, in New Zealand, 12,000 miles from the United Kingdom, why are we parading the titles like that - I just don't really get it.. We've inherited them from an aristocratic English system, and I just don't think that's consistent with a more egalitarian outlook in New Zealand. "The ONZ shows the bipartisanship of the system at its best. That came to me as an offer from the Key government." Former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen, receiving his KNZM for services to rugby from The Governor-General, the Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy. He was named in the 2020 New Year's Honours list. Photo: PHOTOSPORT She also believes people being honoured should have lived a life of service, and done exemplary work, beyond their paid role. "It is good to recognise people who have given good service to New Zealand," she says. During her time as prime minister, Clark chaired the committee who considered who would be put forward for the honours. The process to decide who to recommend for honours was seriously considered, and was hard work, she says, partly because there were so many deserving people nominated. "Your numbers: 400 a year, it sounds a lot, but believe me, when you're sitting at the Cabinet Honours and Appointments Committee and you've got 200 slots for New Year, and six months later 200 for the King's Birthday weekend - Queen's as it was in my time - it's actually quite hard getting the numbers of good applicants down into those 200 slots. "And sometimes you have to postpone recognising someone, because there's just not the room - but you say we'll come back to that in six months time'. "I'd like to think that we were fair, we looked to have honours which were broadly representative of New Zealand: geographically, across our different ethnic communities, across men and women, and then across the kinds of service that you would recognise. "And certainly we didn't just discount recommendations that came from opposition members of Parliament. We felt that these needed to be genuinely nation-wide and bipartisan, so we did our best I think to get a good spread of people." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
30-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
King's Birthday Honours list to be revealed
life and society culture 28 minutes ago Before the King's Birthday long weekend is done, a list of kiwi's will be crowned with their own titles, when the honours list is unveiled on Monday. Those people will recieve titles such as dame or knight, or letters like ONZM, officer of the New Zealand order of merit for meritorious service to the Crown and the nation. Anyone can nominate a person they think is worthy of New Zealand royal honour. The applications are considered by the Cabinet Appointments and Honours Committee. The Prime Minister then makes the final recommendation to the King. Helen Clark, ONZ, joined Lisa Owen to discuss the list.
