I welcome Ismail Sabri’s statement that the “Keluarga Malaysia” concept is based on Rukun Negara but what is he doing to ensure that Cabinet comprises Ministers who uphold the Rukun Negara?

I welcome Prime Minister Ismail Sabri’s statement that his “Keluarga Malaysia” concept is based on Rukun Negara and that the National Unity Plan 2021-2030 is an effort to restore the original dream of unity expressed in the five principles of Rukun Negara.

But the National Unity Plan got off on a bad start when the Unity Minister, Halimah Mohamed Sadique dared not answer questions about the issue surrounding the new signboards for several publicly-funded Chinese primary schools in Pahang, passing the buck to the Education Ministry and the Pahang State government.

The National Unity Plan cannot be beautiful on paper but with no effect or worth on the ground, as it must be an overarching plan affecting every Ministry and all state governments, with the Unity Minister mandated to correct all deviations and idionsyncracies of any Ministry or any State Government.

The Unity Minister must have the mandate and the authority to intervene where any Ministry or state government contravenes the objectives of the National Unity Plan to ensure that there is national unity in the country.

If the National Unity Plan affects only the National Unity Ministry but has no relevance to the whole country or other Ministries and the state governments, then it is not a National Unity Plan worth the paper it is printed on.

In this connection, I would like the ask Ismail Sabri what is he is going to do to ensure that his Cabinet only comprises Ministers who uphold the Rukun Negara?

Tun Razak, the second Prime Minister under whose premiership the five Rukun Negara nation-building principles were enunciated, would have been shocked if he had been asked if he expected Malaysia to have a Cabinet with Ministers who do not support or uphold the Rukun Negara principles!

Would Ismai Sabri ask everyone of his Cabinet Minister to publicly declare support and commitment to uphold the five Rukun Negara principles, and to dismiss Ministers who are not prepared to make such a public commitment?

I doubt Ismail Sabri would dare to do so, because it would result in him losing the premiership and making him the Malaysian Prime Minister with the shortest tenure on the post, shorter than Muhyiddin Yassin.

If Ismail Sabri’s Cabinet cannot set an example of national unity, what is the use of Ismail Sabri’s national unity plan which he launched yesterday.