Minister and deputies appointed

KUALA LUMPUR: Senator P. Waytha Moorthy was appointed and sworn in as a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (National Unity and Social Wellbeing) and four other senators were appointed and sworn in as deputy ministers.

Penang Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chief Senator Marzuki Yahya was appointed and sworn in as Deputy Foreign Minister; Ketereh Pribumi division chief Senator Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin was appointed and sworn in as Deputy Economic Affairs Minister.

Johor DAP chairman Senator Liew Chin Tong was appointed and sworn in as Deputy Defence Minister and Terengganu Parti Amanah Negara chairman Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad was appointed and sworn in as Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister.

These five senators took their oath of office and loyalty as the minister and deputy ministers before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail witnessed the ceremony.

At the ceremony held at the Singgah Sana Kecil (Small Throne Room), Waytha Moorthy took his oath first.

He then signed the letter of appointment and oath of office and loyalty witnessed by Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.

Earlier, Waytha Moorthy and the four others were sworn in as senators for a three-year term effective yesterday.

With the appointment of Waytha Moorthy, the Cabinet of Dr Mahathir has 27 ministers.

At Parliament House earlier, the five were among the eight people who were sworn in as senators before Dewan Negara president Tan Sri S.A. Vigneswaran.

This is Waytha Moorthy’s second stint in the Dewan Negara as he was made a senator in 2013.

Also sworn in as senators were Melaka State Development Corpo­ration board member Datuk Ismail Ibrahim.

The two others appointed senators are Terengganu PAS commissioner Datuk Hussain Awang, who was nominated by the Terengganu legislative assembly, and Universiti Teknologi Mara Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies lecturer Asmak Husin, who was nominated by the Kelantan legislative assembly.

All of them were appointed by the King.

This is the first line-up of senators appointed after Pakatan Harapan formed the Federal Government following its victory in the 14th General Election on May 9. — Bernama

 

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