Selangor gains as Sarawak loses a post in Cabinet reshuffle

PETALING JAYA: Selangor now has a representative in the Federal government while Sarawak lost one in the latest Cabinet reshuffle announced by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Monday.

The appointment of Selangor Umno chief Tan Sri Noh Omar (pic) as Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister marks his (Noh was a former agriculture and agro-based industries minister) and the state Barisan Nasional’s return to the federal ministerial line-up.

Noh will take over the ministry vacated by Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan who will now head the Economic Planning Unit.

Najib did not appoint any Selangor representative to the Federal government after the state Barisan failed to recapture the Selangor government from the opposition in the May 2013 general election.

Asked whether the new Cabinet line-up would be the one facing the next General Election, Najib said it would depend.

"That depends, when is the next General Election?" he said at a press conference to announce the Cabinet reshuffle.

Sarawak lost a representative in the Cabinet with the resignation of Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas who has moved to the state as deputy chief minister.

Gerakan president Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong has replaced Uggah.

This means that Sarawak now has six ministers in the Cabinet – Datuk Richard Riot (Human Resources) Nancy Shukri (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department), Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (Natural Resources and Environment) Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof (Works), Datuk Seri Rohani Karim  (Women, Family and Community Development) and Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun (Prime Minister's Department).

Another Sarawakian minister, Datuk Seri Idris Jala, who was head of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), earlier left the Cabinet after his second term as Senator ended on Sept 3, 2015.

According to the Federal Constitution, the maximum period for a person to be senator was two terms, or six years.

Idris was appointed senator on Sept 1, 2009, and re-appointed for another term on Sept 3, 2012.

The Cabinet changes:

Ministers:

Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani - Finance Minister II;

Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan - Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of the Economic Planning Unit;

Tan Sri Mohamad Noh Omar - Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister;

Datuk Seri Mah Siew Keong - Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister.

Deputy Ministers:

Chua Tee Yong - Deputy International Trade and Industries Minister;

Datuk Seri SK Devamany - Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department;

Datuk Lee Chee Leong - Deputy Finance Minister;

Datuk Othman Aziz - Deputy Finance Minister;

Datuk Henry Sum Agong - Deputy Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister;

Datuk Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur - Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister.