KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim unveiled a reshuffled Cabinet lineup in a special announcement broadcast live at 3.30pm today, ending months of speculation over vacancies.
Among the most notable changes is the appointment of Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani as the new minister of investment, trade and industry, a portfolio previously held by Senator Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Another is the appointment of Akmal Nasir, a close ally of Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, as the new minister of economy, and Hannah Yeoh as the new minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing the federal territories.
Datuk Indera Shahar Abdullah of Umno has taken over as deputy minister of economy, making the ministry one of those led by some of the ruling coalition’s youngest leaders.
Yeoh previously served as youth and sports minister, and her portfolio will be taken over by first-term Sungai Petani MP Taufiq Johari, the son of the Dewan Rakyat Speaker.
Her former deputy, Adam Adli, has also been shifted to a new ministry, and is now deputy minister for higher education.
Sabahan Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup has been appointed the new minister of natural resources and environmental sustainability, the portfolio vacated by Setiawangsa MP and former PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh of PKR has been named his deputy.
Anwar also reshuffled the Human Resources Ministry.
Steven Sim Chee Keong, the Bukit Mertajam MP from DAP, was moved to the Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, while Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan, the PKR MP for Sungai Buloh, replaced Sim as human resources minister.
Sim replaces Datuk Ewon Benedick, the Upko president who quit the post to protest the government’s appeal of a High Court ruling that recognised Sabah’s right to 40 per cent of its tax revenue.
Axed members
Today’s announcement ended months of speculation that Anwar would use the vacancies left by some of his closest allies in PKR to make changes to a Cabinet line-up that had faced some criticism for underperformance.
Two names were dropped in the reshuffle, the most notable being Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who was first made health minister and then moved to the FT portfolio in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Dr Zaliha had been under heavy fire over several policy calls.
The second leader axed from Anwar’s Cabinet is Datuk Naim Mokhtar, the senator overseeing federal religious affairs.
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