With racial and religious rhetoric seemingly on the decline, Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet line-up has become the latest target for Perikatan Nasional to peck at, with coalition leaders trying to paint the prime minister as a “lame duck”.

This came after Digital Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil tried to defend Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s appointment as deputy premier by saying that Anwar was not able to appoint whomever he wants.

Instead, Fahmi said cabinet appointments were...