I know everybody must be given a chance to prove themselves before we pass judgment.

But first impression matters too. And my first impression of the cabinet announced by the prime minister Friday morning is one which is not impressive.

In psychology, according to Wikipedia, a first impression is the event when one person first encounters another person and forms a mental image. And it takes just one-tenth of a second for us to judge someone and make a first impression.

Well, I took longer than one–tenth of a second. In fact, I sat in front of TV for the entire duration of the announcement made by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

But I admit I passed verdict even before the PM concluded naming his line-up.

Not impressive is to put it lightly. Former BN finance minister II Datuk Seri Johari Ghani terms the cabinet line-up “uninspiring”, because “I was actually hoping that the prime minister would form a bipartisan cabinet to govern during this current crisis, or at least introduce some fresh young faces to inject more energy and enthusiasm.” That was how FMT quoted him as saying.

I don’t claim I can read minds but I think Johari calling the cabinet “uninspiring” is also putting it lightly. After all, he is from Umno, a party which is very much in government.

The prime minister played it safe and obviously his decision will not be enough to satisfy public demands, or should it be desires, for meaningful changes.

His cabinet line-up is largely the same with minor reshuffle.

A musical chair, as many are saying, with ministers swapping ministries.

Like his predecessor, Ismail also did not name a deputy prime minister (perhaps disappointing his allies from Sarawak and Sabah who have said now is the time for a DPM from Borneo).

And like Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the prime minister is also parading four senior ministers.

And he has also unveiled quite a number of deputy ministers, the bulk of whom went to Perikatan Nasional. Many ministries even have two deputy ministers.

No need to be a political scientist to see that It is a cabinet for survival.

Ismail picked ten from Umno (need I say, his own party) to be ministers. And with one minister each from MCA ad MIC, BN have 12 ministers.

So, this is a BN-driven government? More or less. But Perikatan Nasional (i.e. Bersatu and PAS) is not very much behind with ten ministers. GPS has three.

I would say it’s the same look and same DNA as that of the Muhyiddin administration. And as bloated. Only one fewer than the 70 ministers and deputy ministers in Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional government.

Like the former prime minister, the current prime minister is also in “accommodating mode”.

Bear in mind it was Umno which helped in forcing Muhyiddin to resign, propelling Ismail to be his successor. And it was Perikatan Nasional and GPS in particular which provided him the numbers to be PM.

As Ilham Center Chief Operating Officer Mohd Azlan Zainal sees it, the prime minister does not have much choice but to go with the same faces available to ensure stability.

Ismail’s focus, according to the Ilham man, is obviously on strategic ministries — finance, health, MITI, home affairs and defense — to continue unfinished tasks of the previous administration.

And PAS vice president Idris Ahmad replacing former mufti Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri as minister in charge of Islamic affairs is, according to Azlan, seen as the prime minister’s effort to boost his government’s Islamic image among the Muslim population which somehow did not work out well during the previous administration.

The only bright spark, as seen by many, is the appointment of Khairy Jamaluddin as health minister.

Khairy is obviously the choice of many Malaysians for his “efficiency and competency” as minister in previous administrations, be it Barisan Nasional or Perikatan Nasional.

Many had also expected the prime minister to appoint Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said as minister, especially after she quit as Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker a few days ago.

Azalina is favored by many Malaysians for the same reason they hold Khairy in high regards. But Ismail did not do what many expected him to do.

Now there’s talk Azalina will be Speaker to replace Datuk Azhar Harun. But as it is, that is just speculation.

Anyway, we have now what we have. A cabinet named based on the prerogative of the prime minister.

And we have many a Malaysian coming up with “gems” in airing their views on the cabinet.

Take a look at social media and we have comments like: “This is not old wine in new bottle but old bottle old wine.”

Then there’s: “Do we expect ugly ducklings to turn into beautiful swans?”

Also this: “Same old nasi lemak wrapped in fresh banana leaf.” And this: “Can we expect to get mangoes from coconut trees?”

This one is catching on: “Our PM is an environmentalist. It’s a recycled cabinet.”

According to Umno man Johari, the prime minister can expect no “honeymoon” period as he has a year or so before the next general election “to rectify multiple failures in governance by the Perikatan Nasional administration”.

Ismail knows this. He has told his ministers to prove their “worthy performance” within the first 100 days of their appointment. Good.

The big question is, will heads roll if performance is not up to expectation?

(Mohsin Abdullah is a veteran journalist and now a freelancer who writes about this, that and everything else.)