I refer to the Malaysiakini report PM unveils 'trimmed-down' cabinet .

It’s the road down the drain which began with Dr Mahathir Mohammed and now continues with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. If the trend continues, we are headed for the ditch. Mahathir almost wiped out all internal opposition to his rule including Musa Hitam, Razaleigh Hamzah, Anwar Ibrahim etc.

Now take a look at this new cabinet, look at the number of East Malaysians who hold key cabinet positions - they are almost totally absent. Hasn’t East Malaysia delivered to the Barisan Nasional? Aren't there good and dynamic East Malaysians (Pairin to name one) who could contribute effectively?

Without the East Malaysians’ help, the BN would have lost this elections and yet the MCA has more key positions in the cabinet than we have East Malaysians. Key Ministries need to go to the East Malaysians too but the defence, home, foreign affairs and education portfolios have all gone to Umno.

It is time the defence and home affairs portfolios go to Sabahans and Sarawakians for a change; aren't they Malaysians as well? Why is it they get only a smattering of the cabinet positions?

Now let’s take another look at our cabinet. Several have been dropped but you have Muhammad Muhammad Taib being brought into the cabinet by the back door. Why was Muhammad not given a seat to contest in the first place if there was intention to bring him into the cabinet?

Why bring him in through the back door? Everyone knows that ‘Mike Tyson’ would have knocked out any opposing candidate in his constituency. But he was not given a seat at all and I would like to think that this was in line with the thinking of the day that all those whose integrity was blemished should be left out.

The same reason why the all powerful Zakaria Deros was also dropped from the BN Selangor line up. But now, the bringing in of Muhd Taib through the back door only indicates that Abdullah had run out of options - having dropped all the people in his cabinet who did not share his views, he needed someone to fill in the gaps.

Anyone who has the slightest inkling of what leadership is will surely tell you that this is one of the weakest traits f a leader - not accepting the views of others especially his own men.

The appointment of the present cabinet indicates a huge problem not for Abdullah but for the country. The choices of the man at the helm do not seem to give us the confidence that they are the people who can deliver.