13 more ministers, 23 deputy ministers sworn in

KUALA LUMPUR (July 3): Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday three more ministers would be appointed to bring the number of cabinet ministers to 29.

The three ministers could only be appointed after they had been sworn in as senators, he said, indicating that they might not be politicians but professionals.

“We will have [a total of] 29 ministers. We have 26 now, there are three more to go,” he said when approached by reporters after the swearing-in of 13 more ministers and 23 deputy ministers before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V, at Istana Negara.

Thirteen ministers, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, were sworn in last month.

“So long as they are not sworn in as senators, they cannot be appointed as ministers,” said Dr Mahathir. The first meeting of the first session of the 14th Parliament is scheduled to convene from July 16 to Aug 16.

Dr Mahathir said he would meet the ministers and deputy ministers sworn in yesterday to explain their roles and responsibilities.

New chief justice

Asked about the appointment of the new chief justice to succeed Tun Md Raus Sharif, the prime minister said an announcement will be made after Md Raus completes his service at the end of this month.

The government has a candidate but the announcement cannot be made right now, he said.

“He (Md Raus) is on leave now. He will go on optional retirement at the end of this month. Then we can announce his successor,” he said.

The 13 ministers sworn in yesterday bring to 26 the total number of ministers in the cabinet of Dr Mahathir.

The 13 ministers earlier appointed were sworn in on May 21.

Yesterday’s swearing-in took place at the Balairong Seri (Throne Room) and was witnessed by Dr Mahathir, his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, and Wan Azizah.

The ministers and deputy ministers also signed the oath of office and loyalty and the instrument of appointment, witnessed by the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, who represented the chief justice, and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.

Taking the oath

The ministers and deputy ministers took their oath in batches at the ceremony which began at 11am.

The 13 new ministers are Muar member of parliament (MP) Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (youth and sports), Alor Gajah MP Mohd Redzuan Yusof (entrepreneur development), Kuala Langat MP Dr A Xavier Jayakumar (water, land and natural resources), Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (domestic trade and consumer affairs), Selangau MP Baru Bian (works), Indera Mahkota MP Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (foreign), Seputeh MP Teresa Kok Suh Sim (primary industries), Parit Buntar MP Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa (prime minister’s department [religion]), Bakri MP Yeo Bee Yin (energy, technology, science, climate change and environment), Shah Alam MP Khalid Abd Samad (federal territories), Batu Sapi MP Datuk Liew Vui Keong (prime minister’s department [law]); Penampang MP Ignatius Darell Leiking (international trade and industry), and Silam MP Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi (tourism, arts and culture).

The 23 deputy ministers are Sri Gading MP Datuk Dr Shahruddin Md Salleh (federal territories), Tanjung Piai MP Dr Md Farid Md Rafik (prime minister’s department [national unity and social well-being), Kubang Pasu MP Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah (finance), Kuala Pilah MP Eddin Syazlee Shith (communications and multimedia), Hang Tuah Jaya MP Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (primary industries), Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin (agriculture and agro-based industry), Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh (prime minister’s department [religion]), Sungai Buloh MP Sivarasa Rasiah (rural development), Gopeng MP Dr Lee Boon Chye (health), Balik Pulau MP Bakhtiar Wan Chik (tourism, arts and culture), Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen (domestic trade and consumer affairs), Raub MP Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji (water, land and natural resources), Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar (human resources), Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan (women, family and community development), Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim Chee Keong (youth and sports), Bangi MP Dr Ong Kian Ming (international trade and industry), Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching (education), Temerloh MP Anuar Tahir (works), Lumut MP Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli (entrepreneur development), Sepang MP Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (prime minister’s department [law]), Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar (transport), Sepanggar MP Datuk Azis Jamman (home affairs), and Kota Belud MP Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis (energy, technology, science, climate change and environment).

Seventh prime minister

Dr Mahathir, 92, was sworn in as the seventh prime minister of Malaysia on May 10, a day after the Pakatan Harapan coalition he leads achieved a stunning electoral victory to end the 61-year-old rule of the Barisan Nasional.

Twelve other ministers were also sworn in then, namely Lim Guan Eng (Finance), Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (home affairs), Mohamad Sabu (defence), Gobind Singh Deo (communications and multimedia); M Kulasegaran (human resources), Zuraida Kamaruddin (housing and local government), Anthony Loke Siew Fook (transport), Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (economic affairs), Salahuddin Ayub (agriculture and agro-based industry); Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (health); Rina Mohd Harun (rural development), and Dr Maszlee Malik (education).

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on July 3, 2018.

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