Former Miti minister starts two-year tenure following end of senatorship
PETALING JAYA: Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has been appointed as Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) chairman for two years.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has agreed to the appointment effective yesterday, following the end of Tengku Zafrul’s second senatorship term.
“Apart from leading Mida, Tengku Zafrul will be given several additional responsibilities that will be announced later by the Prime Minister,” the PMO said in a statement yesterday.
Tengku Zafrul previously served as the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister under the Federal Government since 2022.
He was first appointed as a senator in 2020.
In a related matter, the PMO also announced that Anwar will decide on the list of Cabinet ministers and deputies.
“This will be done after a careful, prudent and truly based on the interests of the people and the direction of national reforms,” it said.
However, the statement did not divulge when such a decision will be made.
Anwar also welcomed the reappointment of Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar as members of the Senate for a second term.
Their second three-year term took effect yesterday.
Saifuddin Nasution, Zambry and Mohd Na’im held the posts of Home Minister, Higher Education Minister and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) respectively.
“This will enable them to continue their important tasks for the continuity of policies, governance and the country’s reform agenda,” it said.
Speculations of a Cabinet reshuffle began after Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad quit as the economy minister and the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister, respectively, in May.
On Nov 8, Datuk Ewon Benedick also resigned as entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister, ahead of the Sabah state polls.
His decision was in relation to the Kota Kinabalu High Court ruling, affirming Sabah’s rights to 40% of net federal revenue derived from the state.
This was followed by the vacancy left by Tengku Zafrul, whose term ended on Dec 2.
Following this, Anwar hinted that a major reshuffle is not on the cards, but only vacancies in ministerial posts to be filled as the Cabinet has about two years left to serve.
