Najib announces his cabinet

NAJIB: Strict criteria in choosing cabinet

PUTRAJAYA — Amid wide public speculation and curiosity, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak officially announced his choice of cabinet today, after taking over the premier’s post from Tun Abdullah Badawi over a week ago. Najib, Malaysia’s 6th PM, had decided on a two-door/three-drawer version measuring 7′ (L) by 3′(H), made from fine teak wood, to hold his television, hi-fi set, and DVD collection at his living room in Sri Perdana.

The cabinet, designed by Italian furniture specialist Cassina, was one of the 55 cabinets which were being considered by the premier, which included premium models from IKEA, Macy’s and Kinheng.

Sri Perdana spokesperson Jamilah Ujang told the media that Datuk Seri Najib arrived at the decision to get the Cassina “Heritage” Model T-520 after considering many factors that included reliability, brand value and longlastingness.

“The Prime Minister is very strict when it comes to picking furniture,” said Jamilah. “He believes that buying furniture is not just about being practical or getting something that looks good on its own. Something like a cabinet must not only reflect the owner’s personality and preferences, but must also gel with the rest of the decor.”

 

Jamilah added that the Prime Minister had set very strict criteria for the cabinet makers bidding for the prestigious honour of furnishing the PM’s humble abode.

“Datuk Seri Najib is very particular about quality,” said Jamilah, while distributing pictures of the cabinet. “And we’re not just talking about the quality of materials or craftmanship here. He’s also strict about the heritage and background of the manufacturer and designer — they must demonstrate clean and honourable history to be considered.

“The Prime Minister applies the same principles he demanded from vendors when he was dealing with defence contractors back in MinDef.”

The Cassina cabinet comes with a 10-year warranty for defects and a lifetime-warranty against termites, with free cleaning and re-polishing service every 5 years.