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.