Mahathir says he will reshuffle cabinet soon<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said
\non Tuesday he would reshuffle his cabinet soon, the state Bernama
\nnews agency reported.<\/p>\n
Mahathir, returning from a trip to Myanmar, told reporters he
\nwould make cabinet changes soon, Bernama reported. Asked when he
\nwould reshuffle his team, Mahathir said: "God willing, hopefully
\nsoon."<\/p>\n
"This is a government, we need to make an in-depth study.
\nThese things we cannot take lightly," he told a news conference.<\/p>\n
The reshuffle, which follows the resignation last week of
\nIslamic affairs minister Abdul Hamid Othman, would be the first
\nsince a general election in November 1999.<\/p>\n
There have been weeks of speculation in financial markets and
\npolitical circles about changes to the cabinet.<\/p>\n
The markets have been speculating that Finance Minister Daim
\nZainuddin may share some of his duties with either Minister of
\nInternational Trade and Industry Rafidah Aziz or the governor of
\nthe central bank, Bank Negara, Zeti Akhtar Aziz.<\/p>\n
Analysts expect Daim to keep his position as Minister of
\nSpecial Functions.
\nT he resignation of Abdul Hamid, officially known as Minister in
\nthe Prime Minister's Department, was linked by political analysts
\nto the government's defeat in a key by-election last month in
\nMahathir's home state Kedah.<\/p>\n
Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Fadzir is
\nanother cabinet member who may be asked to step down, according
\nto some political analysts.<\/p>\n
Mahathir last month ruled out a cabinet reshuffle, saying he
\nmight make some changes to key administrative posts in his
\ngovernment but the changes would not be tantamount to a
\nreshuffle.<\/p>\n
Rejection<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the wife of jailed former Malaysian finance
\nminister Anwar Ibrahim has rejected conciliatory talks proposed
\nby Mahathir's party with her and other Malay opposition leaders.<\/p>\n
Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which
\nhas lost much support among majority Malays since his anointed
\nsuccessor Anwar was sacked and thrown into jail, had called for
\nthe talks it said was aimed at uniting the community.<\/p>\n
Anwar's ouster had galvanized the opposition and weakened UMNO
\nconsiderably in the last general elections in 1999. The Parti
\nKeadilan Nasional led by his wife, Azizah Ismail, recently won a
\nkey by-election in Mahathir's home state.<\/p>\n
A U.S. official said on Tuesday that a U.S. congressional
\nresolution supporting jailed Anwar is likely to be reintroduced
\nin the new house and win more support.<\/p>\n
Seven congressmen last year filed the resolution in the House
\nof Representatives. Mahathir reacted angrily, saying the seven
\nwere unfit to hold office.<\/p>\n
The resolution calls on the Malaysian government to give Anwar
\ndue process "either by offering him a new trial under fair and
\ntransparent procedures or by dismissing all charges against him."<\/p>\n
It says Anwar's trials for abuse of power and sodomy were
\nmarred by serious irregularities.<\/p>\n
"The 107th congressional session just started last week and
\n(the resolution) will most likely be reintroduced and there will
\nlikely be even more supporters on the issue," said Asim Ghafoor,
\nlegislative assistant to congressman Ciro Rodriguez.<\/p>\n
Ghafoor earlier led a team of US congressional staffers in
\ntalks with Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.<\/p>\n
Azizah said in a statement on Tuesday she believed Malays were
\nsupporting the opposition not because they were disunited but
\nbecause they had lost confidence in UMNO and the government.<\/p>\n
"The main issues today are the confidence crisis facing the
\nnational leaders and other big issues like abuse of power,
\nirregularities, corruption, police brutality, poor management of
\nthe economy and a judicial system usurped by the executive
\npower," Azizah said.<\/p>\n
"Keadilan rejects the Prime Minister's invitation to hold
\ntalks on the premise that Malays are disunited," she added.<\/p>\n
Parti Islam Malaysia (PAS), the country's largest opposition
\nparty and Keadilan's main ally, also expressed skepticism last
\nweek about the talks, which it was invited to join.<\/p>\n
But Mahathir said on Tuesday that UMNO was prepared to meet
\nalone with PAS as it had no other motives apart from reaching a
\nconsensus on Malay unity.<\/p>",
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