PETALING JAYA: Two economists have praised Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor for relinquishing the finance portfolio to Masidi Manjun in reshuffling the state Cabinet yesterday.
Firdausi Suffian of Sabah UiTM and former treasury official Ramon Navaratnam said it reflected good governance on Hajiji’s part since finance was an important portfolio.
Firdausi said separating the functions of chief minister and finance minister would ensure checks and balances in the state’s finances.
“It allows Hajiji to focus on the overall management of the state,” he told FMT. “He might have more on his plate once the federal government decentralises more power to Sabah and Sarawak, which is expected.
“In a lot of states, the chief minister or menteri besar is also in charge of finance though it is not in line with good governance practices.
“From a political perspective, it is a smart move because it will help quell any dissatisfaction over how the finance ministry is run.”
Ramon, a former deputy secretary-general of the national treasury and ex-head of Transparency International-Malaysia, said Hajiji’s example should be emulated by other leaders.
Noting that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim holds the post of finance minister as well, he said this meant, in principle, that there was no check and balance.
“Though his reasons might be political, it’s not good for governance. It’s a concentration of power. A chief minister, menteri besar or prime minister should not hold the powerful finance portfolio,” he said.
Hajiji reshuffled his Cabinet yesterday after nearly a week of political turmoil following Sabah Umno’s decision to withdraw its support for the chief minister.
This led to Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin being dropped from the Cabinet, and his posts of deputy chief minister and works minister taken up by Shahelmey Yahya, the Umno assemblyman for Tanjung Keramat.
Shahelmey was among the assemblymen from Umno who refused to withdraw support for Hajiji.
In the reshuffle, Masidi’s previous portfolio of local government and housing is now taken up by another deputy chief minister, Dr Joachim Gunsalam.
