MP SPEAKS | Something amiss about Ismail Sabri's cabinet

MP SPEAKS | Out of 31 ministers in Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's cabinet, there are 12 from Perikatan Nasional ( PN ).

Last Thursday, these 12 ministers wrote to the King, voicing out their stand against holding the next general election this year.

One of the ministers defended the action, on the ground that in a democracy, they have every right to express their views.

Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan, on the contrary, took exception to such a bewildering move by those 12 ministers from PN. He described the action as inappropriate. Was he wrong to say that?

Of course, we are unable to agree at all with the weird idea- unduly mooted by Umno- of having a general election during a monsoon season. It is simply unfathomable. It is grossly unreasonable too.

Nevertheless, we are, at the same time, unable to agree as well with the action taken by several members of Ismail Sabri’s cabinet in expressing their disagreement to the King by writing a letter to the latter.

Alas, there is something amiss about Ismail Sabri's cabinet.

With the greatest respect, I would characterise such an unprecedented move by the aforementioned 12 PN's ministers to be "childish".

They seem to have failed in grasping the rudimentary theory of good governance!

Yes, the latest move is against the basic tenet of collective responsibility. We expect all ministers to be well-versed with the cardinal principle of collective responsibility. It goes without saying that this is supposed to be so elementary in politics.

In essence, the principle of collective responsibility in the cabinet entails full responsibility of each and every minister in such a cabinet to speak in one voice. No room for disagreement!

The only opportunity for ministers to express their disagreement is in the cabinet meeting - before the discussion comes to an end or before the decision is arrived at.

But once the decision has been made, they have to defend such a decision, by hook or crook. Therein, entails the principle of collective responsibility.

The notion of collective responsibility also bars any minister from expressing any form of disagreement outside the four corners of the cabinet meeting room.

Be that as it may, and with the greatest respect, the youth and sports minister was obviously in error when he desperately attempted to defend the action by the said 12 ministers from PN by saying that they have every right to express their views.

No sir. With all due respect, you are wrong.

Once you are in the cabinet as a minister, you are subject to the principle of collective responsibility. No two ways about it.

By remaining in Ismail Sabri’s cabinet, you are bound to defend and honour the decision of your colleagues.

In other words, by remaining in the cabinet, you have duly surrendered your freedom of speech or expression so long you stay in the cabinet.

Simply put, you have duly forfeited your own rights and freedom to disagree with your comrades in the cabinet.

Your only option in maintaining your disagreement with the decision made by the cabinet or prime minister is by tendering your resignation. Period.

MOHAMED HANIPA MAIDIN is the MP for Sepang and a former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal Affairs).

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.