COMMENT | Can the PMX-Men, and women, deliver?

COMMENT | The loudest chatter on social media and at the mamak yesterday, and I’m sure is continuing today, is the fact that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was appointed as deputy prime minister.

With multiple corruption charges ongoing and a background of warlord politics, many do not want him in the cabinet.

Another part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement last night is that he is also now the finance minister. People are upset about this because one of Pakatan Harapan’s campaign calls in 2018 was that the prime minister cannot hold any other portfolio, what more finance.

Remember when Dr Mahathir Mohamed was prime minister then and took up the education portfolio? The criticisms did not end until he gave up and appointed Maszlee Malik for the post. It was refreshing to see the once-authoritarian concede to the rakyat.

It is also a conflict of interest when the top man of the executive is also the one in charge of all the money. We will never forget the 1MDB scandal and how at that time, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was also the finance minister. It just creates ‘opportunities’.

However, if you think about it...