New Youth & Sports Minister Appointed

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced a 28-member Cabinet with 25 ministries that saw eight ministers dropped and seven new faces appointed.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who won the Umno deputy presidency in last month’s party elections, was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister.

Najib, who took his oath of office as the new prime minister on April 3, also retained the finance portfolio which he has held since Sept 19 last year following the portfolio swap between him and former premier Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at that time.

Najib’s Cabinet is slightly smaller than his predecessor’s 32 ministers and 27 ministries.

Najib said that the new members of the administration were highly spirited and ready to serve.

“I am confident that all of them share the same commitment to spur the nation towards excellence.

“This is our lineup and our team which reflects Malaysia’s plural society,“ he said when announcing the list at the Prime Minister’s Department, carried live on national television.

The new Cabinet also a reflection of the slogan “One Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” adopted by Najib’s administration.

The eight dropped are Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (Home), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Tourism), Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib (Rural and Regional Development), Senator Datuk Amirsham A. Aziz (Prime Minister’s Department), Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan (Housing and Local Government), Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed (Works), Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique (Federal Territories) and Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs) who had resigned.

The new faces includes Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who is appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Unity and Performance Management.

The functions of the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development will be absorbed by other ministries -- for example, small and medium enterprise development will come under International Trade and Industry, while Mara and Tekun will be overseen by Rural and Regional Development.

Najib also announced that he would be forming a Council of Economic Advisers, consisting of between six and eight experts who will advise him directly on economic matters. The chairman of the Council will have ministerial rank but would not be part of the Cabinet.

Najib was at Istana Terengganu in Kuala Lumpur at about 10:57am where he had a 30-min audience with the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan, before leaving for Putrajaya where he announced the new line-up at 3pm.

The premier had spent the last five days juggling names and positions to take into consideration the requests and views of various Barisan Nasional component parties.

The new ministers and deputy ministers will take their oath of office at Istana Negara at 9.30am Friday.

NEW CABINET LINE-UP:

Prime Minister and Finance Minister 1: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Deputy PM and Education Minister: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Ministers in Prime Minister’s Department
Unity and Performance Management: Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon
Law and Parliament: Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz
Religious Affairs: Brig. Gen. (Rtd) Datuk Jamil Khir Baharum
Economic Planning Unit: Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop

Deputies: Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim, Datuk SK Devamany, Ahmad Maslan, Senator T. Murugiah

Finance
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Finance Minister II: Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah
Deputies: Datuk Chor Chee Heung, Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein

Education
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
Deputies: Datuk Wee Ka Siong, Datuk Puad Zarkashi

Transport
Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat
Deputies: Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, Datuk Robert Lau

Home
Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein
Deputies: Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop, Jelaing Mersat

Information, Communications, Arts and Culture
Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim
Deputies: Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum, Senator Heng Seai Kie

Energy, Green Technology & Water
Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui
Deputy: Noriah Kasnon

Plantation Industries and Commodities
Tan Sri Bernard Dompok
Deputy: Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Rural and Regional Development
Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal
Deputies: Datuk Hassan Malek, Datuk Joseph Entulu

Higher Education
Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin
Deputies: Dr Hou Kok Chung, Saifuddin Abdullah

International Trade and Industry
Datuk Mustapa Mohamed
Deputies: Datuk Muhkriz Mahathir, Datuk Jacob Dungau

Science, Technology and Innovation
Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili
Deputy: Fadillah Yusof

Natural Resources and Environment
Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas
Deputy: Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

Tourism
Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen
Deputy: Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib

Agriculture and Agro-based Industries
Datuk Noh Omar
Deputies: Johari Baharum, Rohani Abdul Karim

Defence
Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Deputy: Datuk Dr Abdul Latif

Works
Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor
Deputy: Datuk Yong Khoon Seng

Health
Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai
Deputy: Datuk Rosnah Rashid Shilin

Youth and Sports
Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek
Deputies: Datuk Razali Ibrahim, Wee Jeck Seng

Human Resources
Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam
Deputy: Datuk Maznah Mazlan

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri
Deputy: Datuk Tan Lian Hoe

Housing and Local Government
Datuk Kong Cho Ha
Deputy: Lajim Ukin

Women, Family and Community Development
Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
Deputy: Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun

Foreign Affairs
Datuk Anifah Aman
Deputies: Datuk Lee Chee Leong, Senator A. Kohilan Pillai

Federal Territories
Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin
Deputy: Datuk M. Saravanan

Source: The Star

Note: We like to thank former Sports & Youth Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri for everything that he has done for our beloved sport of paintball. Another great paintball supporter, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Tourism) has been dropped from the cabinet.