Najib’s ‘new, transformational’ cabinet

There are five new faces - the Hindraf chairman, TI-Malaysia president, Maybank CEO and two young Umno MPs.

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today unveiled a new, dynamic cabinet to drive through his ambitious economic and political transformation agenda.

The cabinet includes a mix of technocrats and civil society representatives, who bring valuable experience from outside government, as well as experienced ministers and younger faces. The cabinet also draws on Malaysia’s diverse ethnic communities.

“The new cabinet will be responsible for delivering transformation in Malaysia and continuing the economic and political reforms that began four years ago,” said Najib while announcing his cabinet. He was flanked by his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and Chief Secretary to the Government Ali Hamsa.

“The new ministers bring both the measured calm of experience, and the vibrant energy of new ideas; a grounding in anti-corruption and human rights law, and an appreciation for the dynamism of the private sector.

“Over the past months and years, divisions have opened up in Malaysian society. Now it is time for all of us, in government and beyond, to put the bitterness behind us, and work towards national reconciliation – and national unity.

“It is in that spirit that I have asked these men and women to serve, not just as ministers, but as a unity Cabinet. Together we will act to bring about national reconciliation, secure Malaysia’s economic future, and build a stronger, more harmonious society,” he said.

Sabah, Sarawak, Umno rewarded

Sabah and Sarawak which both gave a large chunk of MP seats to BN were rewarded with 15 parliamentarians being named in the cabinet, of which 10 were full ministers.

There were no representatives from Gerakan and MCA although Najib has set aside the Transport Ministry for the latter in the event it decides to join the government. There are only two Chinese representatives in the cabinet – Senator Paul Low (minister) and Mary Yap (deputy minister).

There were 35 Umno parliamentarians in the cabinet, including 16 full ministers. Most of them were the old faces who had been retained – but given different portfolios – by Najib. However former Agriculture and Agro-based Industry minister and Tanjung Karang MP Noh Omar was dropped.

The two prominent new Umno faces are Khairy Jamaluddin and Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

New faces in Najib’s cabinet include:

• Paul Low, anti-corruption campaigner and President of Transparency International (Malaysia), who will be a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

• P Waythamoorthy, human rights activist and chairman of HINDRAF, an NGO that campaigns for equal rights for Malaysian Indians, who will be a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

• Abdul Wahid Omar, President and CEO of Maybank, one of Southeast Asia’s top five banks that serves 22 million customers, who will be a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

• Khairy Jamaluddin, the 37 year-old MP re-elected MP for Rembau with a tripled majority of over 18,000 votes, who will be Minister for Youth & Sports.

• Abdul Rahman Dahlan, MP for Kota Belud in Sabah, who will lead the new Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing & Local Government.

The new line-up of ministers and deputy ministers:

Prime Minister

Najib Tun Razak (Umno)

Deputy Prime Minister

Muhyiddin Yassin (Umno)

Prime Minister’s Department:

Ministers:

Jamil Khir Baharom (Umno)

Abdul Wahid Omar (Senator)

Idris Jala (senator)

Joseph Kurup (PBRS)

Shahidan Kassim (Umno)

Nancy Shukri (PBB)

Paul Low Seng Kwan (senator)

Joseph Entulu Belaun (PRS)

Deputy Ministers:

Razali Ibrahim (Umno)

Waythamoorthy Ponnusamy (Senator)

Ministry of Finance
Minister of Finance 1: Najib Razak (Umno)

Minister of Finance 2: Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadzlah (Umno)

Deputy Minister of Finance

Ahmad Maslan (Umno)

Ministry of Transport

Minister: (Acting – post being held open pending MCA decision) Hishammuddin Hussein (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Ab Aziz Kaprawi (Umno)

Ministry of Defence

Minister: Hishammuddin Hussein (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Abdul Rahim Bakri (Umno)

Ministry of Home Affairs
Minister: Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (PBB)

Ministry of Education & Higher Learning

Minister 1: Muhyiddin Yassin (Umno)

Minister 2: Idris Jusoh (Umno)

Deputy Minister 1: Mary Yap Kain Ching (PBS)

Deputy Minister 2: P Kamalanathan (MIC)

Ministry of Works

Minister: Fadillah Yusof (PBB)

Deputy Minister: Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin (Umno)

Ministry of International Trade & Industry

Minister: Mustapa Mohamed (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Hamim Samuri (Umno)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Anifah Aman (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Hamzah Zainuddin (Umno)

Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism

Minister: Hasan Malek (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Ahmad Bashah Mohamad Hanipah (Senator)

Ministry of Communication & Multimedia

Minister: Ahmad Shabery Cheek (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Jailani Johari (Umno)

Ministry of Human Resources

Minister: Richard Riot Jaem (SUPP)

Deputy Minister: Ismail Abdul Muttalib (Umno)

Ministry of Rural & Regional Development
Minister: Shafie Apdal (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Alexander Nanta Linggi (PBB)

Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing & Local Government
Minister: Abdul Rahman Dahlan (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Halimah Mohamad Saddique (Umno)

Ministry of Youth & Sport

Minister: Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar (Umno)

Deputy Minister: M Saravanan (MIC)

Ministry of Health
Minister: Dr S Subramaniam (MIC)

Deputy Minister: Hilmi Yahaya (Umno)

Ministry of the Federal Territories

Minister: Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (Umno)

Deputy Minister: J. Loga Bala Mohan (Senator)

The Ministry of Plantation Industries & Commodities

Minister: Douglas Uggah Embas (PBB)

Deputy Minister: Noriah Kasnon (Umno)

Ministry of Energy, Green Technology & Water

Minister: Maximus Johnity Ongkili (PBS)

Deputy Minister: Mahdzir Khalid (Umno)

Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry

Minister: Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (Umno)

Ministry of Tourism & Culture

Minister: Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (Umno)

Deputy Minister: Joseph Salang Gandum (PRS)

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
Minister: Ewon Ebin (UPKO)

Deputy Minister: Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah (Umno)

Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment

Minister: G Palanivel (MIC)

Deputy Minister: James Dawos Mamit (PBB)

Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development

Minister: Rohani Abdul Karim (PBB)

Deputy Minister: Azizah Mohamad Dun (Umno)

A snap shot

Ministers: 30

Deputy Ministers: 27

Total ministries: 24

Senators reappointed: 1

New Senators: 5

Backbenchers: 82