Hishammuddin returns as defence minister in new cabinet

 

Hishammuddin Hussein has been reappointed to the new cabinet of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, but this time to the Defence Ministry which he once helmed.

Hishammuddin, a seasoned politician with vast experience in government, has been appointed Senior Minister (Defence) in the new cabinet unveiled today by Ismail Sabri, Malaysia’s ninth prime minister.

He had served as defence minister in 2013 under the BN federal administration led by then prime minister Najib Razak.

Hishammuddin, 60, who had his own law firm between 1989 and 1993, was the Senior Minister (Security) as well as Foreign Minister in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government of Muhyiddin Yassin.

Hishammuddin, who is BN treasurer-general, is a four-term MP for Sembrong in Johor. He began his political career at the age of 28 by joining the Sungai Mati Umno branch in Johor in 1989.

A former Umno vice-president, he began his career in the federal government in 1995 when he was appointed parliamentary secretary to the International Trade and Industry Ministry.

The former Umno Youth chief was made deputy primary industries minister in 1997, youth and sports minister (1999), education minister (2004-2009), and home minister (2009).

In 2013 he was appointed defence minister and acting transport minister, before assuming the post of special functions minister responsible for the security of Sabah and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) in 2014 following an intrusion by armed militants in eastern Sabah.

Hishammuddin, who was born on Aug 5, 1961 in Kuala Lumpur, is married to Marsilla Tengku Abdullah and they have four children, Nasha Alyssa, Farris Hussein, Kyra Arianna, and Fahd Hussein.

A son of Malaysia’s third prime minister Hussein Onn and grandson of Umno founder Onn Jaafar, he studied at St John's Kuala Lumpur, Malay College Kuala Kangsar, and Cheltenham Boys College in the UK.

After studying law at the University of Wales and the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, Hishammuddin started his career as a lawyer.

- Bernama