Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today announced a cabinet reshuffle involving 10 portfolios.
The most prominent shake-up is Husni Hanadzlah's resignation from his post as Finance Minister II.
"Husni has informed me of his wish to retire so I respect that, he is quite ready to retire," Najib said in a brief press conference after announcing the line-up in Putrajaya.
A statement issued later by his former political secretary said Husni was also resigning as Umno treasurer, Perak Umno deputy chief, Tambun Umno division chief, and Tambun BN chief.
Husni has been holding the second finance minister's post since Najib replaced Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister in 2009.
The Tambun MP will be succeeded in the cabinet by Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani.
Meanwhile, Tanjong Karang MP Noh Omar has returned to Najib's cabinet, taking over the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry from Abdul Rahman Dahlan.
Noh was previously the agriculture and agro-based industry minister in Najib's first cabinet, but was dropped after the 2013 general election.
During his tenure as second finance minister, Husni was appointed as the 1MDB spokesperson at the height of the scandal back in 2015.
On 1MDB, he has reportedly said the interim attorney-general's report showed that the investment firm had committed no wrongdoing, and that 1MDB's US$1.1 billion savings in the Cayman Islands was in the form of units, and not cash.
Husni had also pushed for ministries to cut on spending, saying their key performance index (KPI) was being measured by their savings.
Meanwhile, when Noh was minister he was implicated in a scandal involving a prawn farm.
In 2012, Sekinchan assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim had told the Selangor state legislative assembly that Noh was engaged in a joint venture with prawn breeder Pristine Agrofood Sdn Bhd, which he claimed was in conflict with his ministerial position.
Pristine Agrofood, however, insisted that Noh was only the landowner of the prawn farm, while the Tanjong Karang MP denied having a stake in the company. - Mkini
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