New Cabinet unveiled PM meets King for consent
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s new and trimmed down Cabinet consists of 29 ministers in 25 ministries.
The new Cabinet is smaller than his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s 32 ministers and 27 ministries.
Najib dropped eight ministers and appointed seven new faces.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who won the Umno deputy presidency in last month’s party elections, is the new Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister.
Najib, who took his oath of office as Prime Minister on April 3, retained the Finance portfolio.
The Umno president also reduced the number of party ministers from 22 to 19; while other component parties held on to their previous numbers – except for Gerakan.
Its president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon joined Najib’s team as a Minister. In the previous Cabinet line-up, there was no minister from Dr Koh’s party.
Najib abolished two ministries – Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development; and Energy, Water and Communications.
Instead, he set up a new ministry, Energy, Green Technology and Water.
He also made a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department responsible for unity and performance management.
Dr Koh, who is among the seven new faces, is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Unity and Performance Management.
Malaysian Armed Forces’ Religious Corp Director Maj-Gen Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom is another new face. He has been appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic Religious Affairs.
Other new ministers on board are Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah (Second Finance Minis-ter), Umno Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Women, Family and Community Development), Datuk Anifah Aman (Foreign) and Lembah Pantai Umno division chief Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin (Federal Territories).
Of the seven new faces, four were made senators and sworn in as Dewan Negara members after Najib unveiled the line-up. They were Dr Koh; Jamil Khir, Shahrizat and Raja Nong Chik.
The eight ministers dropped are Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (Home); Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Tourism), Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib (Rural and Regional Development), Senator Datuk Amir-sham Abdul Aziz (Prime Minister’s Department), Datuk Ong Ka Chuan (Housing and Local Government), Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed (Works), Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique (Federal Territories) and Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs). Shahrir had earlier resigned his post.
MCA vice-president Datuk Kong Cho Ha, previously the Deputy Finance Minister, was promoted to a full minister in charge of Housing and Local Government, taking over from Ong.
Of the 40 deputy ministers, nine are new faces.
They are Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, (International Trade and Industry); Puteri Umno chief Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin (Health), Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi (Education), Senator Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin (Finance), Senator Heng Seai Kie (Information, Communi-cations, Arts and Culture), Senator Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (Women, Family and Community Development), Datuk Lee Chee Leong (Foreign), Ahmad Maslan (Prime Minister’s Department) and Datuk Razali Ibrahim (Youth and Sports).
