MP SPEAKS | When PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan raises alarm over a cabinet reshuffle, Malaysians should not panic.

Instead, they should interrogate the motive and ask two simple questions: Are we truly discussing governance, or are we once again watching fear being deliberately manufactured for political mileage?

There is nothing extraordinary or alarming about a cabinet reshuffle; in fact, it becomes a “crisis” only when it is deliberately misrepresented as one.

A routine cabinet reshuffle is not a betrayal of voters, and it certainly is not the collapse of democracy. In every functioning parliamentary system, a prime minister is expected to recalibrate the cabinet to improve coordination, performance, and delivery.

Portraying this routine process as something sinister is not political vigilance - it is political theatre.

What is far more troubling than the reshuffle itself is the narrative pushed by PAS: the claim that cooperation equals “centralisation”, that working together means surrendering identity, and that inclusion somehow threatens power.

This is not a defence of democracy. It is an attempt to shrink it by turning collaboration into a scare word.

As a Muslim, I state this without hesitation: Islam does not teach us to govern through panic and suspicion. It teaches amanah, justice, and accountability. It teaches leaders to be judged by competence and integrity - not by how loudly they shout warnings of imagined takeovers.

If PAS truly wishes to speak in the language of faith, then it should explain how fear-mongering serves justice, or how distrust strengthens the ummah.

PAS warns of political dominance, yet conveniently ignores a basic fact: Malaysia is governed today by a coalition government precisely because voters rejected domination by any single party or ideology - including PAS.

Malaysians chose cooperation over chaos, solutions over slogans, and stability over endless brinkmanship. That decision was made at the ballot box, not behind closed doors.

A cabinet reshuffle only appears threatening if one’s politics depends on exclusion and control - fear of losing relevance, fear of sharing space, fear of being judged on results rather than rhetoric.

But governance is not a purity contest. It is a difficult, imperfect, collective work. And collaboration is not a weakness. It is political adulthood.

No more manufactured outrage

Democracy is not protected by alarmist press statements. It is protected by strong institutions, transparent decision-making, and leaders mature enough to work across differences.

A reshuffle that improves coordination is not a threat to democracy. What truly threatens democracy is paralysis, cynicism, and the deliberate poisoning of public trust.

Malaysia does not need more manufactured outrage. It needs leadership that can steady the country, lower the temperature, and focus on delivery while families struggle with the cost of living. Fear may mobilise a base, but it does not govern a nation.

As a Muslim woman in politics, I reject the idea that faith must be weaponised to stoke anxiety. Faith should ground us. Leadership should reassure, not inflame.

And as an MP, my loyalty is not to political noise or partisan panic - it is to Malaysians who expect results, honesty, and maturity from those entrusted with power.

Malaysia’s future will not be decided by who cries “threat” the loudest. It will be decided by who governs responsibly, works constructively, and delivers for the rakyat. Everything else is a distraction - and Malaysians are tired of it.

SYERLEENA ABDUL RASHID is the Bukit Bendera MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.