Familiar faces from BN govt in Cabinet

Among the top four: Ismail Sabri has been appointed as one of the four senior ministers. — Bernama

PETALING JAYA: Several former Barisan Nasional ministers and deputy ministers have returned in the new Cabinet line-up, with some holding senior positions.

Chief among them is Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who has been appointed one of the four senior ministers.

The Umno vice-president, who was the Rural and Regional Development Minister during Barisan’s time, will be in charge of defence.

Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof is another former minister from the Barisan government who has been appointed Senior Minister.

The Petra Jaya MP will be in charge of the Works Ministry, the portfolio he held before the 14th general election.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who was the former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, has also returned to the Cabinet and will helm the Transport Ministry.

Former international trade and industry minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed is now a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of economy. The Jeli MP left Umno in September 2018 and joined Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has also made a comeback and had been appointed as Entrepreneur Development and Co-operatives Minister.

The former Natural Resources and Environment minister said he never expected to be tasked with a different ministry as he had thought he would be given his previous portfolio.

“However, to me, this is a just another job with new challenges, functions and roles that I have to play, ” he said.

Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa is back as the Federal Territories Minister. He was formerly the Rural Development Minister in the 1990s.

Former defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is also back and had been entrusted to helm the Foreign Ministry.

The Sembrong MP said on Twitter that he does not see the appointment as a privilege.

“This is a big responsibility entrusted to me. The national interest will be my utmost priority, ” he said.

Other names include Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin, who was previously the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister and is now the Home Minister.

MIC also sees its sole representative in Dewan Rakyat, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan who was the former Deputy Youth and Sports minister, appointed to the Cabinet helming the Human Resources Ministry.