PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has shaken up the Prime Minister’s Department, re-establishing the portfolio of minister for Sabah and Sarawak.
Two ministers were dropped as well as a deputy minister, and he also swapped a few around in his new Cabinet line-up yesterday.
It was only Anwar’s second Cabinet reshuffle since he took over in November 2022. The first was on Dec 12, 2023.
Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, the Sepanggar MP and Sabah PKR chairman, will now helm the re-established portfolio of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak).
Anwar said the reshuffle is not only to fill vacancies, but also to strengthen the Cabinet and spur the country’s economic growth.
The two ministers dropped were Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who was Federal Territories Minister, and Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, who was Religious Minister, both under the Prime Minister’s Department.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh takes over from Zaliha while Na’im’s deputy Dr Zulkifli Hasan moves up to take his post.
The other name that was dropped was Saraswathy Kandasami, who was Deputy Unity Minister.
As widely speculated, Umno’s Datuk Seri Johari Ghani has been given the job as Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, taking over from Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, whose senatorship has ended.
Datuk Seri R. Ramananan, who was Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister, has been promoted to Human Resources Minister while Steven Sim takes charge at Ramanan’s previous ministry.
A new face in the Cabinet is Sungai Petani MP Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, who has been appointed a full minister, taking over from Yeoh.
Dr Mohammed Taufiq is the son of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
The reshuffle yesterday also saw more portfolio swaps among the deputy ministers than ministers.
It also saw several new faces from Sabah, which held state elections recently, being added to the line-up.
Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup was promoted to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister, while Kota Kinabalu MP Datuk Chan Foong Hin was made Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister, replacing Arthur.
Tawau MP Loh Su Fui was named deputy to Yeoh, while Batu Sapi MP Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan is Ramanan’s new deputy.
Kimanis MP Datuk Mohamad Alamin has been made Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister.
Prior to the announcement, Anwar said the government would continue to strengthen the governance and improve the effectiveness of policy implementation for the people’s well-being.
“I hope that all those entrusted with this mandate will give full commitment and be responsible while ensuring the well-being of the people as well as prioritising the interests of the country.
“I would also like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the leadership in the Madani Cabinet for their dedicated service, contributions and commitment in making the national reform and development agenda a success,” he said in a social media post after the announcement yesterday.
All the new faces are set to be sworn in at Istana Negara today.
