Mahathir says he will reshuffle cabinet soon

Mahathir says he will reshuffle cabinet soon

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday he would reshuffle his cabinet soon, the state Bernama news agency reported.

Mahathir, returning from a trip to Myanmar, told reporters he would make cabinet changes soon, Bernama reported. Asked when he would reshuffle his team, Mahathir said: "God willing, hopefully soon."

"This is a government, we need to make an in-depth study. These things we cannot take lightly," he told a news conference.

The reshuffle, which follows the resignation last week of Islamic affairs minister Abdul Hamid Othman, would be the first since a general election in November 1999.

There have been weeks of speculation in financial markets and political circles about changes to the cabinet.

The markets have been speculating that Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin may share some of his duties with either Minister of International Trade and Industry Rafidah Aziz or the governor of the central bank, Bank Negara, Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

Analysts expect Daim to keep his position as Minister of Special Functions. T he resignation of Abdul Hamid, officially known as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, was linked by political analysts to the government's defeat in a key by-election last month in Mahathir's home state Kedah.

Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Fadzir is another cabinet member who may be asked to step down, according to some political analysts.

Mahathir last month ruled out a cabinet reshuffle, saying he might make some changes to key administrative posts in his government but the changes would not be tantamount to a reshuffle.

Rejection

Meanwhile, the wife of jailed former Malaysian finance minister Anwar Ibrahim has rejected conciliatory talks proposed by Mahathir's party with her and other Malay opposition leaders.

Mahathir's United Malays National Organization (UMNO), which has lost much support among majority Malays since his anointed successor Anwar was sacked and thrown into jail, had called for the talks it said was aimed at uniting the community.

Anwar's ouster had galvanized the opposition and weakened UMNO considerably in the last general elections in 1999. The Parti Keadilan Nasional led by his wife, Azizah Ismail, recently won a key by-election in Mahathir's home state.

A U.S. official said on Tuesday that a U.S. congressional resolution supporting jailed Anwar is likely to be reintroduced in the new house and win more support.

Seven congressmen last year filed the resolution in the House of Representatives. Mahathir reacted angrily, saying the seven were unfit to hold office.

The resolution calls on the Malaysian government to give Anwar due process "either by offering him a new trial under fair and transparent procedures or by dismissing all charges against him."

It says Anwar's trials for abuse of power and sodomy were marred by serious irregularities.

"The 107th congressional session just started last week and (the resolution) will most likely be reintroduced and there will likely be even more supporters on the issue," said Asim Ghafoor, legislative assistant to congressman Ciro Rodriguez.

Ghafoor earlier led a team of US congressional staffers in talks with Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

Azizah said in a statement on Tuesday she believed Malays were supporting the opposition not because they were disunited but because they had lost confidence in UMNO and the government.

"The main issues today are the confidence crisis facing the national leaders and other big issues like abuse of power, irregularities, corruption, police brutality, poor management of the economy and a judicial system usurped by the executive power," Azizah said.

"Keadilan rejects the Prime Minister's invitation to hold talks on the premise that Malays are disunited," she added.

Parti Islam Malaysia (PAS), the country's largest opposition party and Keadilan's main ally, also expressed skepticism last week about the talks, which it was invited to join.

But Mahathir said on Tuesday that UMNO was prepared to meet alone with PAS as it had no other motives apart from reaching a consensus on Malay unity.