COMMENT | In a multiracial country, the composition of a cabinet must take into account the interests of all races. It must reflect the inescapable reality that there are many people of diverse cultures and faiths that go into the making of a nation.

In Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's country, this incontrovertible fact has been ignored when he presented his cabinet to the people: it is packed mostly with Malays, with a sprinkling of non-Malays here and there.

The make-up of the cabinet is in line with PAS politics of exclusiveness, where all the top important posts must be held by Malays. The rationale behind its thinking is that absolute power must always be absolutely in the hands of the Malays.

It is not surprising that Muhyiddin showed his Malay-ness in the choice of his ministers and deputy ministers. He once said he is Malay first and Malaysian second, although he now trumpets that he is the prime minister for all Malaysians...