KUALA LUMPUR, May 16- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s balanced Cabinet features a combination of old and new faces in a bid to continue the national transformation agenda.
The new Cabinet comprises 29 ministers and 27 deputy ministers for 24 ministries. Among the new faces are Umno Youth chief, who is also Rembau member of Parliament (MP) Khairy Jamaluddin, who has been appointed as the new Youth and Sports Minister, Maybank president Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and Transperancy International Malaysia president, Datuk Paul Low, who were both appointed as Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Abdul Wahid and Low will be appointed as Senator before taking the oath of office, together with another new face, Nancy Shukri, the MP for Batang Sadong.
Another new face appointed as the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department is former Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.
The Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government will be led by Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who will be assisted by Tenggara MP Datuk Halimah Mohd Sadique as deputy minister.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who retained his Putrajaya parliamentary seat for the third term in the 13th general election, makes a come back when appointed as Federal Territories Minister.
He will be assisted by Penang PPP chairman Datuk Dr J. Loga Bala Mohan as his deputy. Former Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh has also been appointed as Education and Higher Learning Minister II.
United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) vice-president Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin is among the nine new faces who have been made full minister today.
He was appointed as Science, Technology and Innovation Minister and will have Tangga Batu MP Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah as his deputy.
Meanwhile, the prime minister maintains his portfolio as Finance Minister, while Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin maintains his education portfolio as Education and Higher Learning Minister I.
Former Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi swaps his portfolio with former Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
Hishammuddin has also been appointed as Acting Transport Minister and will be assisted by Sri Gading MP Datuk Ab. Aziz Kaprawi.
Among the old faces who maintain their portfolios are Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as Rural and Regional Development Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah as Second Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed as International Trade and Industry Minister and Datuk Seri Anifah Aman as Foreign Minister.
Other old faces who are given new portfolios are former Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who now holds Communication and Multimedia portfolio, and former Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam, who is now in charge of Health Ministry.
Two former Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz and Datuk Seri G.Palanivel, have been appointed as Tourism and Culture Minister and Natural Resources and Environment Minister, respectively.
The announcement of the Najib’s new Cabinet also sees six deputy ministers being made full ministers, namely former Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof who was promoted as Works Minister; former Deputy Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim (Women, Family and Community Development Minister); former Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot (Human Resources Minister); former Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Hasan Malek (Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister).
Also former Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and former Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun (Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department).
Among the ministers dropped from Najib’s new Cabinet line-up are former Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor and former Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar.
– BERNAMA
