Yingluck shows the touch of a fairy godmother

However, this time, we have chosen to focus on the good points of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s latest Cabinet reshuffle.

A woman’s touch: Some may wonder what Thailand’s first female prime minister really meant when she told the Asia Society in New York last September that she hoped to use her womanly charms when addressing disputes in the South China Sea. Her fourth Cabinet reshuffle shows that she was not joking. 

Unlike her brother, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra – who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 – this political novice knows that to protect herself, she needs to make friends with the top brass. After all, if she didn’t have the support of the armed forces, how could she possibly have become the country’s first defence minister? Obviously, her woman’s touch worked in this case. Now we can only hope that her womanly charms will help resolve prolonged security problems, especially in the South, amid peace talks with Barisan Revolusi Nasional and ongoing disputes with Cambodia. 

Promoting women’s role and status: Yingluck – who set a record by becoming a country’s leader in just 49 days – seems to have made history on at least three counts. She is not only Thailand’s first female premier, she is also Thailand’s, and Asean’s, first female defence minister. 

Plus, she is unselfishly giving other women a chance to step in and help run the country. The best example is Pavena Hongsakul, who has been given the Social Development and Human Security portfolio. Pavena, founder of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, is perfect as no-one can match her saintliness.

The six-time Bangkok MP is so well-suited to this portfolio that she beat outstanding contenders such as Sudarat Keyuraphan, former deputy leader of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party. Both these ladies were among the 111 executives banned when the party was dissolved. Their ban ended in May last year. 

Bringing about reconciliation: The repeated exclusion of Jatuporn Promphan, red-shirt leader and No 1 enemy of the elite who ousted Thaksin, from her Cabinet and relegation of some hardcore ministers could be a sign that Yingluck is trying to lay a gentler path toward reconciliation. 

According to Pheu Thai’s Samut Prakan MP Worachai Hema, another red-shirt, Yingluck is demoting her “warriors” and Chalerm Yoobamrung is a great example. He was shifted from deputy PM – and oversight of national security and also played a big part in attacks on the opposition – to the Labour Ministry. Also, ACM Sukampol Suwannathat lost his Defence post despite being instrumental in stripping former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva of his military rank. Worachai fears Yingluck is trying to make friends with enemies.

A sense of appreciation: Shinawatras never forget favours. Two senior bureaucrats who once favoured them have been paid back with portfolios. The newly appointed Deputy Finance Minister Benja Louichareon once played a prominent role when Shin Corp shares were sold to the Singapore government’s investment arm, Temasek. She was deputy head of the Revenue Department then and insisted that the “first family” did not have to pay tax on the sale. 

Former attorney-general Chaikasem Nitisiri has been given the Justice Ministry, because when he was chief public prosecutor, he had to oversee many graft-related probes led by the Assets Examination Committee against the Thaksin government. Chaikasem made even bigger headlines when he dropped cases linked to the CTX bomb scanners and loans from Krungthai Bank. 

Generosity: Yingluck also appears to have been very generous. This time, she chose a very well qualified man – PM’s Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn – to stand by the side of Agriculture Minister Yukol Limlaemthong, who hails from Banharn Silapa-archa’s Chart Thai Pattana Party. His party has been in charge of this ministry since they were part of Abhisit’s coalition. Yet, in this case, her good intentions could be seen in a bad light. Banharn might misconstrue her actions and think that she doesn’t trust her coalition partners. He might even think that she sent her right-hand man to spy on him. 

Cracking down on gambling: Moving Chalerm from his post as deputy premier to the helm of the Labour Ministry shows that the PM is serious about cracking down on gambling dens. 

Chalerm accused Pol Colonel Thawee Sodsong, head of the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, of telling Thaksin and Yingluck ‘pure lies’ that the police were unhappy with him for setting up gambling dens. So, now we must wonder if this was so.