Latest news with #CabinetAppointments
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- 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
3 days ago
- 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
3 days ago
- 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.
Independent Singapore
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Desmond Lee: The Dark Horse in the Cabinet
Photo: Facebook screengrab / desmondtslee Featured News Singapore Politics Beyond the headlines, news reports and commentaries, the picture that emerges of Singapore's newest Cabinet shows a 4G leadership with a few rough edges yet to be straightened. PM Lawrence Wong seems to be a man in a hurry to shore up his power base with the appointment of those who passed the electoral test. There are 15 full ministers, two acting ministers and 22 ministers of state and political secretaries with the PM saying that the appointments, including nine new office holders from the backbench as well as from the new group of MPs 'is one of the highest in recent history. Statistics are one thing. More important is what the changes mean to some individuals. Both Ong Ye Kung and Chan Chun Sing, both 4G ministers who came into politics with much promise, have not been made DPMs with Gan Kim Yong retaining his No 2 post. Of course, the two have been made co-ordinating ministers as a way to satisfy their ambitions. Gan is thus a compromise candidate. Then comes Masagos Zulkifli, who had to give up his second job as Minister in Charge of Muslim Affairs to Fishal Ibrahim (in an Acting capacity). Masagos was under attack in his Tampines GRC headed by Workers Party veteran Faisal Manap in a constituency with the highest margin (30 per cent) of Malay/Muslim voters. His team nearly lost (52 per cent) because Masagos was seen as a lame duck in fighting for the Malay cause. Israel's atrocity against Hamas i n Gaza and his lackluster response angered not only many Muslims but also some other Singaporeans. Then there is Janil Puthucheary, a rising political star. His rise has been halted because he was not prompt in tackling the complaints of residents of Northshore in his Punggol ward. Gan had to step in to mollify them with assurances that their unhappiness will be looked into. Puthucheary remains Senior Minister of State. A notable Cabinet absentee is Ng Chee Meng, who scraped through with just below 52 per cent of the votes against a WP newbie in the single seat of Jalan Kayu. Ng came onto the campaign trail with a dark cloud hanging over his head; many had felt that he, as head of NTUC, was not against the sale of a 51 per cent stake in one co-operative, Income, to a German company. After his election victory, he made an unusual public announcement: That he doesn't want a Cabinet post. That must have put the PM in a spot. In announcing his new Cabinet, Wong was non-committal about whether Ng would get a place in the next reshuffle. What many did not pay attention to was the dark horse in the Cabinet. Desmond Lee is now the Education Minister and could go on to bigger things. Wong said: 'He brings a quiet but effective style of leadership. He listens actively and persistently and engages widely with stakeholders and takes decisive actions when needed.' That is high praise indeed for a man who was moved to West Coast GRC from Jurong GRC to do battle with Tan Cheng Bock and team in 2020. The top leadership in the Cabinet is still in transition and a mid-term reshuffle will make things clearer who is likely to be the next DPM.
Independent Singapore
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Singaporeans weigh in with wish list for next Cabinet, the next Minister for Defence has big shoes to fill
SINGAPORE: We are all guessing on the upcoming Cabinet appointments. Analysts said they expect big changes, especially with the retirement of three senior officials prior to the General Election on May 3. Ng Eng Hen, who held the position of Defence Minister, Heng Swee Keat, who had served as Deputy Prime Minister since 2019, and Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean have all stepped down. Added to the mix are the newly elected MPS, some of whom were touted as potential political officeholders during the campaign period. As the analysts told CNA, this will be the first time significant changes have been made to the Cabinet since 2021, and Singaporeans will closely watch the portfolios for Defence and Finance. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has been Finance Minister for the past four years, and it remains to be seen whether he will retain the position or pass it on to another. There is also a lot of interest in who will be tasked with stepping up as Deputy Prime Minister. The CNA piece has generated much interest, with many online commenters generating their own wish lists and expressing who they would like to see in PM Wong's Cabinet. Some Facebook and Reddit users wish to see a Malay Muslim in a significant cabinet position, such as Minister of Defence. However, one chimed in to say, 'I think whoever that replaces Dr Ng Eng Hen as defence minister definitely has some big shoes to fill.' They also praised Dr Ng for 'strengthening diplomatic ties with many countries and securing military bases for training overseas' during his tenure. Others said it would be suitable for someone with a medical background to serve as Health Minister. Some said they hoped to see popular Education Minister Chan Chun Sing in a high-profile role. In 2011, Mr Chan was first elected as an MP for the Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (GRC). In the May 3 polls, the People's Action Party slate he led at Tanjong Pagar won 81.03% of the votes, the highest percentage for the ruling party among Group Representation Constituencies. Others, however, had a less realistic take about what they'd like to see in the Cabinet. Commenting on Facebook on the CNA article, national marathoner Soh Rui Yong pointed out that Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh, who was re-elected as MP for Aljunied GRC for the third time, would be qualified for the Defence portfolio. 'In a logical world, he would be considered a strong candidate for Minister of Defence. The man has military experience and has been on the frontline of all kinds of wars—media, political, and legal,' he wrote. /TISG
