Isham Jalil, Umno’s information chief, has warned against significantly reducing the size of the Cabinet, claiming that it would burden each minister with too many responsibilities adding that the optimal size should be 28 ministries while Anwar Ibrahim, the PH PM has said he plans to have 25 ministries.
The view of the Umno member
The Umno member claimed that the increased responsibilities would make it difficult for each ministry to function and since ministers in Malaysia have discretionary powers when it comes to secondary legislation, which are laws created by ministers under powers granted to them by an Act of Parliament.
“When one minister has too much power, the checks and balances (on their authority) are no longer effective,” he reportedly said.
