Malawi Muslims are disappointed by their poor representation in the new cabinet, saying this undermines religious balance in the southern African country while experts see this as a wake-up call for Muslims. “There is a total under-representation of Muslims,” Alhaj Yusuf Kanyamula, Chairman of the umbrella Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM), was reported as saying on June 18. President Bingu wa Mutharika on June 17 unveiled his new 43-member cabinet featuring only two Muslims from his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The rest of the ministers are Christians from various denominations. Mutharika, a devout Catholic who won a second five-year term last month, dropped several Muslim ministers from the new line-up. During his first term, he had six Muslim ministers in addition to then Vice President Cassim Chilumpha. The umbrella MAM described Muslims’ representation in the new government as the lowest since the introduction of pluralistic politics in the country in 1994. But one of the two Muslim ministers maintained that appointments to the cabinet were based on qualifications no religion. “I am a Malawian, just like all my Christian counterparts,” Sidik Mia, who has been moved from the Irrigation and Water Development Ministry to the National Defence Ministry, said. “The president has appointed me due to my capability. My religion has not influenced the president to hire my services.” “While we appreciate that ministers are not appointed based on religious considerations, but the aspect of balance based on religion cannot be completely undermined,” insisted Kanyamula, the MAM leader.
CABINET QUOTA UPSETS MALAWI MUSLIMS
Malawi Muslims are disappointed by their poor representation in the new cabinet, saying this undermines religious balance in the southern African country while experts see this as a wake-up call for Muslims.
