DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's decision not to admit former Johor menteri besar Abdul Ghani Othman into his new cabinet.

Umno was full of praise for Ghani's credentials during the recently concluded election campaign, and yet he was shunned from the cabinet line-up, Lim said in a statement today.

dap special meeting 110313 lim kit siang 2 "It is most unfair and ungrateful for Umno leaders to drop Ghani like a tonne of bricks after he failed to defeat me in Gelang Patah," said Lim ( right ).

Lim garnered 54,284 votes in the May 5 general election, while Ghani, in his first ever electoral defeat, drew 39,522, votes.

Lim said he had openly acknowledged that Ghani had made an invaluable contribution to the development of Johor and that his experience should be tapped as a cabinet member.

He said he was surprised that there are those within Umno resisting Ghani's return to national politics, citing Former Barisan Elected Representatives Association (Mubarak) as an example.

Najib preparing for Umno polls?

Mubarak had raised its objection to appointing those who lost in the general election to government posts, which Lim argued was aimed at Ghani.

NONE "It would be interesting to know who are the Umno leaders behind the Mubarak statement, for it would throw an interesting light on the Umno power tussle... preparing for the 'battle royale' during the Umno party elections," he said.

Meanwhile, DAP Wanita national secretary Teo Nie Ching ( left ) pointed out that women were severely under-represented in the new cabinet line-up.

Of the 35 ministerial posts, only two (5.7 percent) are held by women.

Teo expressed hope that the new Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim would seriously look into solutions to empower women.