New premier Najib Abdul Razak must install a cabinet untainted by corruption in a reshuffle expected this week if he is to realise his reform ambitions, party insiders and analysts say.
Najib, who was sworn into power last week, has announced ambitious plans to overhaul the ruling party Umno, which was humbled in elections last year by voters who see it as corrupt and out of touch.
"In appointing a new cabinet, Najib must choose ministers who have three things - integrity, integrity and integrity," said Megat Najmuddin Khas, a member of Umno's disciplinary committee.
"He must minimise the negative perception that people have of the government and ensure that he gets people who are honest and who are credible," he told AFP.
"He must not think of only appointing party chiefs to the cabinet but also people who have the right credentials and who the public can trust."
Former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who had a landslide win in 2004 a year after coming to power, squandered his mandate and was never able to pull off his own plans to tackle corruption and improve race relations.
Disappointment over the lack of action was a major factor in elections a year ago that dealt the Umno-led coalition an unprecedented rebuke, with the opposition winning five of the 13 states and a third of seats in parliament.
(Source: Malaysiakini)
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